By Fidelis Ugbomeh
Against the backdrop of allegations by some passengers on board Iddo to Ijoko/Kajola narrow gauge Lagos Mass Transit Train, LMTT Lagos district manager of Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC Engr. Augustine Arase has said that Train Ticket Collectors, TTCs found collecting cash without issuing tickets to passengers on board trains will be dismissed from service and prosecuted.
He disclosed that in the time past many staff have been dismissed for collecting cash without issuing tickets to passengers on board the daily Lagos mass transit trains but that it is now a policy to prosecute indicted staff after dismissal.
Arase posited that there is a task force on board the daily mass transit train from Kajola/Ijoko to Iddo saddled with the responsibility of monitoring activities of the ticket collectors and passengers during transit.
According to him, the penalty for passengers who pay cash without collecting tickets;on board the trains is N20,000 per passenger while ticket checkers found wanting will be dismissed.
Regarding the approach adopted to stop roof top climbing of coaches in transit by some passengers, the district manager said management identified the entry and exit points of perpetrators and decided not to have any stop over at identified railway stations.
According to him the corporation also imposed punitive measures on some drivers who slow down for such passengers to climb roof to of coaches.
He explained further that hitherto a combined team of Nigerian Railway Police, Nigeria Security band Civil Defence Corps, railway command and Lagos State Police Command embarked on periodic raiding and arrested roof to climbers but the practice continued despite the fact that some culprits paid fines while others were prosecuted and jailed.
According to him, “the act of passengers reputedbfor climbing roof top of coaches to engage in unwholesome activities and throwing stones at passers has since been curbed because trains no longer stop at their entry and exit points”.
As for trading along the railway tracks, Arase stated that it is illegal to trade along or beside the railway tracks.
He averred that the corporation has zero tolerance for trading along or beside the railway lines adding that the security operatives have continued to embark on periodic raids to discourage people from trading along the railway lines.