Commuters in Lokoja, Kogi State, have begun benefiting from a free shuttle service launched by the Senator representing Kogi West, Sunday Karimi, as rising transport costs continue to squeeze household incomes.
The initiative, tagged **“Karimi Cares Free Bus Service,”** commenced operations on Wednesday along the Army Barracks–Lokoja New Market/Nataco Junction corridor.
The service is targeted at civil servants, students, traders and other residents who rely on public transportation for their daily movement.
With transportation becoming an increasing expense for many households, the intervention is designed to reduce the amount commuters spend travelling to work, school, markets and other destinations.
The launch also shifts the focus of constituency intervention towards a basic daily challenge confronting residents—how to move around the state capital at a time of rising living costs.
The organisers said the free buses were introduced to provide immediate relief to commuters by cutting their daily transport expenses.
A public affairs analyst, Musa Asiru Bakare, described the initiative as a practical form of constituency representation, particularly for residents whose incomes are already under pressure from food, education, healthcare and transportation costs.
Bakare said workers, students and traders using the designated route could feel the impact of the intervention directly through reduced daily transportation expenses.
He said the service also provided an opportunity to assess constituency representation through interventions that respond to everyday challenges faced by residents.
The shuttle service is expected to continue operating along the designated corridor under the Karimi Cares initiative.