NRC to sanction staff for ticket racketeering

THE Nigerian Railway Corporation ( NRC) has said it would not spare any staff found wanting in ticket racketeering.

District Regional Manager , Lagos, NRC, Augustine Arisa, told The Guardian in a chat. Speaking on a recent train ride, he said: “There were some challenges, but we were able to overcome them. The tickets were sold online. It is the e- ticketing people they buy from. But there were lots of network challenges. Sometimes, on our own, we would ask the passengers to go while taking their inventory without the online ticket because most times, there was a net - work issue.

Arisa said the ones that were not able to get tickets online, NRC was able to carr y about 106 last Saturday, but it didn't improve on Sunday as they carried about 24 passengers. According to him, “We went on air to tell people that the train was free, that notwithstanding any of our staff caught in such a thing of racketeering, will not be spared. We will wield the sledgehammer on such a person. But we told people the ticket was free.”

Speaking on the process of how passengers can get the ticket, he said: “There is a link. Once y ou click on the link, it a vails you step- bystep information on what is next to do . It needs no requirement to access it. Anybody can access the website.”

Arisa said the corporation has reduced the price of freight for importers. “Today, we are running two trains, two locomotives carrying 48 wagons to Ibadan in Moniya. He said work is still ongoing on the commencement of the Lagos- Kano rail narrow gauge line.