Passengers decry poor services on Abuja-Kaduna train

As Christians celebrated the Easter, some commuters on the Abuja-Kaduna rail complained of inadequate communication and inefficient services from personnel at the train station in Abuja.

Some of them who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in separate interviews at the Kubwa station in Abuja said passengers’ welfare should be paramount.

Alhaji Ibrahim Dauda said it was his first time of joining the train service, noting that there was need for the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) to improve on its condition and welfare of passengers and ensure proper communication channel.

“As you can see, many people are standing, they need to improve on the condition and welfare of passengers. Since I came, I have not heard any announcement whether the train is delayed or how long passengers will wait.

“There should be constant information from the management to the passengers, especially on the movement of the train,” he said.

Toyin Idowu, another passenger, stressed the need for the station to improve on its time management and communication, saying the NRC personnel should be trained on customer service

She alleged that most of the staff members were rude to passengers.

Mr Segun Tokunbo, also a passenger, while commending the Federal Government for the good development and beautiful structure on ground, blamed the management for poor service.

He said the passengers were punished because there was no proper communication from the operators to them which made it frustrating and disappointing.

“It is a good development in this country but the management of the operation is actually going against the wishes of the government, what I can see here is waste of resources and punishment to the public.

“I have been here since 7a.m and it is almost noon, there is no form of communication on the arrival and departure of the train.

“The government has done a good job but the operators need to be trained so that they don’t frustrate government’s good intention because people are discouraged,” he said.

Responding, Abdullahi Gani, the Assistant Station Manager, Kubwa, said due to Abuja airport closure, the passengers have increased and that they have informed the management to provide more seats which they promised would be ready within two weeks.

He, however, said the complaints of passengers that the personnel were rude could be based on the issue of balance or change as some passengers expected them to leave their duty posts to look for change for the balance.

“The issue of the seat, we have channelled the complaints to the management and they will respond in the next one to two weeks, it will be resolved,” he said.

Passengers were seen standing for hours without communication from the public affairs unit on the arrival and departure of the train which finally arrived by 12.44p.m.(NAN)