Following the ongoing investment on rail projects in the country, the Federal Government has disclosed plans to ban the movement of certain category of cargoes on some roads after the completion of major railways in the country.
Speaking at an event in Lagos at the weekend, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, reiterated the ban on some heavy cargo on the road becomes necessary to make the roads last longer.
The minister disclosed this while giving an account of ongoing rail construction and other new ones to be constructed in the country. He said it was important to transfer some of the cargo movement to the rail track to enable the roads to last longer.
In his word, Amaechi said “as soon as we finish these rail projects, there are some types of cargo that will not go on road, whether you like it or not”. The minister said
According to the minister, railway transportation for passengers was usually subsidized, he however doubt if cargo would be subsidized, adding that the cost of construction must be paid back.
“No matter what we charge, it will not be the same as what we charge you on goods,” he said.
The minister said that movement of goods would be faster when they were moved by railways than roads, which would also be time-saving for businesses, even as he urged the state governments to construct roads that will link the stations, saying it is their duty.
“When the Federal Government does rail projects, it is the job of the state governments to do roads to (connect to) the different railway stations,” Amaechi added.
Amaechi said the government was investing in human capital development to enable Nigerian citizens to take over the construction of railways in the country in the next five to 10 years, adding that the Federal Government would build railway universities in the country, and bring English-speaking Chinese to teach in the institutions
