Ticket racketeering has become a booming business among staff of Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), security personnel and individuals at the train stations in Rigasa, Kaduna and Idu in Abuja.
The situation has left passengers in quandary as most ended up stranded at the two stations.
Some of the passengers say relevant authorities must make sweeping changes to stop revenue leakages and save passengers from the daily frustration of paying more to obtain tickets.
They said government should introduce electronic ticketing system to ensure transparency and accountability so as to send the ticket racketeers out of the illicit business.
Report has it that in Kaduna, passengers thronged the station as early as 5:00 am to get tickets for the train that departs 6:40 am for Abuja.
As other passengers arrive later for the 10:30 trip, the station becomes crowded with passengers struggling to obtain tickets that are not available.
A passenger at the Rigasa train station, Seyi Ajibade, described the development as very unfortunate.
“People are not usually sure they would make the trip due to the uncertainty of getting ticket”, she said.
According to her, the corruption that surrounds the ticketing system is undermining current efforts to revamp rail transportation, stressing that only electronic ticketing will solve the problem.
“I prefer travelling by train, but I get frustrated anytime I come to the station to get a ticket.
“I want first class but as always, I am told that first-class tickets have finished, even when I do not see them selling to anybody.
“Also, getting the economy class ticket is equally a tug-of-war war. Sometimes, you will have to pay two or three times the price to get it from the dealers,” Ajibade added.
Similarly, Mr Joshua Afun also said getting a ticket had always been a difficult task.
“Many of us turned to train service because it is safer, spacious, thrilling and fun with beautiful view of the landscape and serene vegetation.
“But getting a ticket has become a matter of who you know or the size of your pocket,” he lamented.
According to an official of the corporation who preferred to be anonymous, the first-class tickets are mostly not sold at the counter because they have been shared among the officials who reserve them for very important personalities who will pay higher price.
“The tickets are being given to touts to sell to desperate passengers at a higher price and remit extra N500 to the official and N200 extra for economy class tickets. Those involved make as much as N20,000 to N50,000 per day,” he said.
However, the Rigasa station manager, Mr Aminu Ibrahim declined comment on the allegation, saying that only the public relations officer is allowed to speak to the press.
He however said the coaches conveyed about 1,000 passengers every trip to Abuja and back.
Meanwhile, as the trains depart at 10:30 am and arrive at Idu Station in Abuja at 1:30 pm, the same scenario plays out as many passengers hoping to get the 2:00 pm train to Kaduna are usually stranded.
A traveller, Aliyu Musa, said he once came to the station around 12:00 pm, joined the queue but only to be told that the ticket had finished.
“When I arrived, I saw people already on the queue and quickly joined hoping to get a ticket but noticed the ticketing office was locked.
“After staying on the queue for an hour, an officer of NSCDC came and told us that the tickets had finished. We were all shocked because we did not see when the tickets were being sold,” he said.
At that point, he said another passenger familiar with the system advised him to go to the parking lot and get ticket, but at a higher price. He subsequently had to pay N5,000 for the economy class.
Sharing similar experience, Mr Steven James, said he and his friend once paid N5,000 each at Rigasa for a trip to Abuja but were not given tickets.
“We arrived at the station, but we were told that the tickets had finished. While we were discussing what to do, a young fellow approached us and said he would get us into the train, but would pay N5,000 each. Because we were desperate, we obliged.
“He took us into the train and locked us in one tiny room at the last coach of the train. He opened us 30 minutes later after the person that was checking tickets had finished going round,” he said.
James said that the only way to address the ticketing issue was to sell it online.
NAN
| Virus-free. www.avast.com |
