The Ministry of Transport is under the supervision of the Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi. Since inception of the Buhari administration, it has launched various railway stations across the country, one of which is the Abuja-Kaduna Railway.

Information has reached NEWSRAND about suspicious activities going on in the train station, of staff exploiting passengers by selling tickets at higher price. Our team conducted an investigation and here’s what we discovered;

Staff at these stations hoard tickets, then tell passengers who intend to board that they are sold out; no more seats in the train. As departure time draws nearer, staff who hoard these tickets then discreetly go to meet with frustrated passengers, telling them they have a reserved ticket and doubling the price from the initial ticket price. The passengers have no option but to buy this ticket because of need and urgency.

NEWSRAND in its findings got the original price of the ticket to be N3,000 for economy class, and N6,000 for business class, with minor extra charges for medicals. Speaking with Andra Chidiebele, one of the riders at Kubwa train station explained to NEWSRAND how she was exploited by one of the train station staff.

“I tried getting tickets online, on my way back to Abuja, and it was showing me there were no more available seats on the train. I went there to the train station, and got same feedback that seats were all occupied; I was feeling down because I had to get back to Abuja for an event that day.

“Suddenly a man came to me, telling me he can get me a ticket in the Economy class for N6,000, I was not happy about the hike, the initial price of the ticket is N3,000, but I had to go back home today, so I bargained with him for N5,000 which he agreed. On entering the train, I found out it was almost empty. The seats they claimed to be all out! I was vexed but could do nothing about it."

Another passenger, Bright Udom, shared the experience of how he was ripped off earlier on his way to Kaduna.

“I had a wedding to attend on a Saturday morning, so closed from work earlier to catch the 6 pm train. I went straight to the ticket stand only to be told the train is full. I had to get on the train because of the wedding starting 10 am next day. I felt disappointed, only to be approached by a staff who told me he has an extra ticket.

“He told me he has sitting ticket and standing ticket, that the sitting will cost me N7,000 while standing will cost N4,000. I tried negotiating but he said he will not sell less, so I had to buy the standing since it is just a 2 hour journey. I got on the train and I didn’t even have to stand for a second because there were empty seats.

Jessica Chibuike, a Commuter, narrated her ordeal, how amused she was when a cleaner in the station sold her a train ticket. “I was rather amused than upset (even if I had been swindled of an extra N2,000) when a cleaner in the station sold a ticket for me after I was told the train was full. I mean like is he going back to Kaduna after work, what is he doing with an extra ticket?

Passengers have cried out against this exploitation and it seems nothing has been done so far, and with the rate of insecurity on the Abuja-Kaduna expressway, people find it safer to travel by train.

SOURCE (abridged): https://newsrand.com/2021/05/05/revealed-how-abuja-kaduna-train-station-staff-exploit-passengers/

prof2007:
The Ministry of Transport is under the supervision of the Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi. Since inception of the Buhari administration, it has launched various railway stations across the country, one of which is the Abuja-Kaduna Railway.

Information has reached NEWSRAND about suspicious activities going on in the train station, of staff exploiting passengers by selling tickets at higher price. Our team conducted an investigation and here’s what we discovered;

Staff at these stations hoard tickets, then tell passengers who intend to board that they are sold out; no more seats in the train. As departure time draws nearer, staff who hoard these tickets then discreetly go to meet with frustrated passengers, telling them they have a reserved ticket and doubling the price from the initial ticket price. The passengers have no option but to buy this ticket because of need and urgency.

NEWSRAND in its findings got the original price of the ticket to be N3,000 for economy class, and N6,000 for business class, with minor extra charges for medicals. Speaking with Andra Chidiebele, one of the riders at Kubwa train station explained to NEWSRAND how she was exploited by one of the train station staff.

“I tried getting tickets online, on my way back to Abuja, and it was showing me there were no more available seats on the train. I went there to the train station, and got same feedback that seats were all occupied; I was feeling down because I had to get back to Abuja for an event that day.

“Suddenly a man came to me, telling me he can get me a ticket in the Economy class for N6,000, I was not happy about the hike, the initial price of the ticket is N3,000, but I had to go back home today, so I bargained with him for N5,000 which he agreed. On entering the train, I found out it was almost empty. The seats they claimed to be all out! I was vexed but could do nothing about it."

Another passenger, Bright Udom, shared the experience of how he was ripped off earlier on his way to Kaduna.

“I had a wedding to attend on a Saturday morning, so closed from work earlier to catch the 6 pm train. I went straight to the ticket stand only to be told the train is full. I had to get on the train because of the wedding starting 10 am next day. I felt disappointed, only to be approached by a staff who told me he has an extra ticket.

“He told me he has sitting ticket and standing ticket, that the sitting will cost me N7,000 while standing will cost N4,000. I tried negotiating but he said he will not sell less, so I had to buy the standing since it is just a 2 hour journey. I got on the train and I didn’t even have to stand for a second because there were empty seats.

Jessica Chibuike, a Commuter, narrated her ordeal, how amused she was when a cleaner in the station sold her a train ticket. “I was rather amused than upset (even if I had been swindled of an extra N2,000) when a cleaner in the station sold a ticket for me after I was told the train was full. I mean like is he going back to Kaduna after work, what is he doing with an extra ticket?

Passengers have cried out against this exploitation and it seems nothing has been done so far, and with the rate of insecurity on the Abuja-Kaduna expressway, people find it safer to travel by train.

SOURCE (abridged): https://newsrand.com/2021/05/05/revealed-how-abuja-kaduna-train-station-staff-exploit-passengers/

the cursed people occupying the good land Nigeria.u must destroy everthing good thing and blame the govt

The exploitation started from Buhari and APC. I'm out!!!

OP you are living in the past, the ticket in question is online base. You seat in the comfort of your house � and buy. Stop lying, i used their service yesterday.

Take ticketing online with as little human intervention as possible.

Most Nigerians are naturally corrupt and their every waking day is programmed towards what harm they can do to others for their own benefit.

Although I must say his Excellence Hon Rotimi Ameachi is one of the minister I am most proud of in the Buhari's administration, because his results are very visible, anyway on this matter it is simply the Nigeria factor playing out, but I thought the minister announced an eticketing platform sometimes ago, the platform wasn't ready though when he announced it, a simple USSD on the phone should be able to buy a ticket biko, and eliminate all this third party agents. May be we need to put a sensor on the Train, if tickets are sold out and train is leaving with empty seats or better still have expiration for the tickets, they can't be ripping Nigeria off, not in this period biko. This is why I subscribe to concessioning this trains.

Raxz:
OP you are living in the past, the ticket in question is online base. You seat in the comfort of your house � and buy. Stop lying, i used their service yesterday.

Good to know.

Can't ever trust News out of Nigeria.

Shame.

Since the Minister and the ministry of transport are not doing anything about it; maybe they all take their cuts from the scam.

Nothing is too much or too small for this current government.

Someone on this thread will still blame Buhari. People doing this are from Cotonou, they can't be Nigerians. Abi?

How can this country ever be good? These are just saboteurs. Tickets were supposed to be sold out or at least half the capacity...but greedy staff would rather allow the trains to run empty if their inflated prices aren't met thereby milking commuters!

'Like births like'. A society is the aggregate of what it promotes.

And these parasites too would be shouting bad leadership while they themselves are calamitous in their little space.

Why the average Nigerian is this greedy should be studied. They do not care what happens, as long as they get that extra money. The Ministry should investigate further (that's if the staff investigating are not just as corrupt) and discipline them and deter others from taking advantage of their positions.

Bluntguy:
The exploitation started from Buhari and APC. I'm out!!!

Leave Buhari out of this, this menace is prevalent in government establishment.