Reps investigate ticket racketeering at train stations
The House of Representatives has launched an investigation into alleged ticket racketeering at the Abuja and Kaduna railway stations.
This was sequel to a unanimous adoption of a motion by Zayyad Ibrahim (APC-Kaduna) at the plenary on Tuesday.
Moving the motion earlier, Mr Ibrahim recalled that the Abuja-Kaduna train services were inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari on July 26, 2016, to provide an alternative to road transportation in the area.
He added that there had been an increase in passengers at Idu and Kubwa stations in Abuja and at Rigasa in Kaduna due to increased patronage following the security challenges experienced on the Abuja-Kaduna expressway.
The lawmaker explained that the increase in passengers resulted in racketeering.
“On January 21, 2021, the Minister of Transportation officially launched the automated e-ticketing system operated by Secured 18 Company Limited, a private firm under a public-private partnership with the federal government for N900 million, which the concessionaire is expected to pay back in 10 years. The e-ticketing system was to address complaints of ticket racketeering.
“The e-ticketing system for the Abuja-Kaduna train services enabled commuters to book tickets online, thus curbing ticket racketeering and the stress of purchasing tickets at the train stations,” he stated.
Mr Ibrahim said, “Concerned that ticket racketeering, which the e-ticketing system sought to eradicate, is still going on unabated, as tickets can no longer be adequately accessed online due to the mischievous activities of some people who buy wholesale tickets and resell to passengers at exorbitant prices.
“Taking cognisant of the fact that if the activities of racketeers are not curbed, passengers will continue to be denied the privilege of accessing the train services as, sometimes, a train may leave the station without carrying the required number of passengers because the tickets are not accessible or affordable to majority of passengers,” he explained.
The House urged the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) management to strengthen their internal mechanisms to eradicate ticket racketeering.
In his ruling, the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, mandated the Committee on Land Transport to investigate the matter and report back within two weeks for further legislative action.
(NAN)
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