Follow Us on Google
…Says more locomotives will end ticket racketeering
From: Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Government said it plans to increase train ticket sale for the Abuja-Kaduna route after Thursday’s commissioning by President Muhammadu Buhari.
This is even as it said that the increase of locomotives to 14 would stop racketeering that led to the sack of the station managers, porters, and ticket officials at Idu and Rigasa rail stations last year August.
Currently, the Executive Class ticket now for N1,500 (the new price might be N3000) while the Standard Class which currently sells for N1050 may go up to N1,200 or N1,500.
The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, made the disclosure after a closed-door meeting with President Buhari ahead of the commissioning of 10 new coaches and 2 locomotives for the Kaduna – Abuja train service, on Thursday.
The first two modern locomotives for the Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge rail line was purchased at N1.1 billion by the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration
Amaechi had announced to newsmen in October 2017 that additional 10 locomotives were expected in December 2017.
Speaking to State House Correspondents after the meeting, Amaechi said, “We discussed the commissioning of 10 new coaches and 2 locomotives which will bring the total number of coaches to 14 on the Kaduna-Abuja route.
“The President is pleased with the arrangement because basically we will then be able to discharge the passengers pressure that we have had, that is why you have ticket racketeering. When demand outstrips supply then you see all sorts of attempts to cheats the passengers.
“There are two things I know the president likes, I have mentioned one, the second one, is after commissioning even the passengers agree that the cost of transportation to kaduna via the railway is a bit too cheap. So there will be a need to increase the price of the cost and then there will be more comfort. More comfort in the sense that when you have excess seats multiply by the number of passengers that will come, then anybody that wants to racketeer will have to eat the tickets himself.”
The minister who did not say how much is projected to come from the route monthly, however said, “I’m not an expert in that area but I one thing I know is that one of the locomotive will be dedicated to direct trip from Kaduna to Abuja non-stop, that should be doing 1:15 or 1:20 minutes non-stop. That will enable those living in Kaduna and working in Abuja to actually come to work on time. If you leave at 6am by 7:15, 7:20 you should be in Abuja.”
President Buhari will also commission Nigeria’s first inland dry port in Kaduna.
