Traffic control: E-ticketing to be deployed at Lagos-Ibadan railway

E-ticketing platform would be deployed to Lagos-Ibadan railway in order to effectively manage the envisaged passenger traffic.

The Minister of Transportation Mr Rotimi Amaechi stated this at Ibadan during the inspection of the Lagos-Ibadan railway project.

“I have directed the MD of NRC to advertise for the e-ticketing and we hope the traffic that we will witness on this axis will be managed with that platform.” 

Mr Amaechi said the Lagos-Ibadan project would be commissioned next month after getting approval from the office of the president.

“I hope the Office of the President will approve the commissioning of this project in June. We will communicate the actual date in the next one or two weeks but certainly, I think it is in June”.

“We are not 100 percent ready for commissioning but if for nothing, we are 89 to 90 percent ready for commissioning and we are hoping that by the next three weeks we will be ready and by then, they will give us a date fron the office of the president. One thing is that by the time they give us a date, we will be ready for commissioning.”

The Minister noted that there is maintenance plan between with CCECC within the next three to five years for the purpose of maintenance.

On vandalization of rail tracks, he also ordered the arrest of buyers of vandalised rail track facilities and other equipment.

He said cases of vandalisation exist because there are those who have indicated interest in the vandalised facilities.

“I don’t know why some Nigerians are like the way they are. I have told the Managing Director of NRC to arrest the buyers of the equipment. It is not enough to arrest the vandals.

“It is likened to those who said why should the National Assembly punish those who pay ransom, that law was first passed by the Rivers State House of Assembly when I was a speaker and the reason is, that, when there is no demand, there will be no supply.

“If we don’t pay ransom, they will be tired and they will stop. The same way, if they don’t buy those metals, slippers and others, nobody will steal them.” 

Mr Amaechi added that “we must approach the Judiciary to have court that can dispense justice readily so that people are sent to jail early enough to deter others and we will also encourage our governors to create jobs.”

The Minister also hinted that some people who have been vandalizing the facilities have been arrested.

Ime N