By Yusuf Adua
Follow-up Chronicle
Contrary to the Oyo state government’s claim that scores of long buses could be seen at the train station, only two buses are confirmed to actually come to the terminal daily.
I set out from my location, Sawmill to Moniya, the train station on Tuesday, October 6, 2022, to verify the claims that scores of long buses are seen at the train station.
I got there some minutes past 11.00 am, judging by my previous visits to the terminals, the buses do not always arrive early. Unluckily, a long bus took off at 11:03 so as I was arriving. It departed the train station with some passengers as I observed while on the bike that took me there. That prevented me from snapping a specific shot.
However, it turned out to be the only long bus that came to the train station that morning.
So, I turned to interview women selling edibles at the terminal; they told me that it is only one bus that comes to pick passengers that disembark from the train at 11.00am and 7.00pm each day.
The women said the bus would carry passengers intending to board the train by 8.00am and wait till the train carrying passengers from Lagos gets to Moniya around 10:30 am, it would then pick them up from there. At that point, the one that was leaving, just got there.
The government do so because micra do not ply the road to the train station, it is neither tarred nor filled up with potential passengers. Even bikes don’t ply the road except those that come to drop boarders and traders or artisans at the station.
“Another long bus would come at 3:30pm carrying passengers who want to catch the 4.00pm train, it will wait at the train station till the other train that left Moniya in the morning returned and pack them to the main town by 7.00pm“.
At most, people at the station said there are only two buses that would come to the station in a day. I waited till 4 pm for the bus to come and I also spoke with the driver who also authenticated how they operate.