Passengers continue to storm the Mobola Johnson Train Station in Lagos daily in large numbers following the free train ride introduced by President Bola Tinubu. However, the gesture has been marred by technical glitches, Justice Okamgba writes
The free train rides introduced by President Tinubu have encountered a series of challenges, including technical glitches and allegations of irregularities.
Immediately after the President’s directive the Nigeria Railway Corporation in a statement said, “Passengers are advised to obtain their free tickets via the online e-ticketing platforms only.
“Tickets will not be issued at any of the corporation’s train stations. Please note that no commuter will be allowed to board the train without a ticket.
“We enjoin commuters to be orderly, obey security personnel and the laid down boarding instructions of the NRC and those of its officials while at the station and on board the trains.”
Since the implementation of the directive, the ambience at Mobolaji Johnson Train Station in Lagos has been electrifying with palpable excitement. The surge in the number of passengers recorded within this period remains unprecedented.
The railway corporation runs two return trips daily on the Lagos-Ibadan and Apapa-Kajola routes, while a single trip operates from Iddo-Ijoko and Ijoko to Iddo each day.
Officials affirmed to The PUNCH on Saturday that the decision to offer complementary train rides has not only created waves but has also created a unique scenario at the core of Lagos’s rail transportation.
“We anticipated the surge to persist until January 4th. Nigerians appreciate the allure of free services, considering it a positive step in the right direction,” NRC said.
One of the ticketing officers revealed that the train runs twice daily departing at 8 am and 4 pm while commuters heading for Kajola could board the evening service train which departs at 6:30 pm.
Irregularities
Reports revealed irregularities within the system, with some NRC staffers exploiting some passengers, who were unable to secure rides online.
This unexpected turn of events have raised concerns about the fairness and transparency of the free ride initiative. The government’s effort to provide complementary transportation during the festive season now faces criticism due to these irregularities.
Security personnel at the station confirmed to The PUNCH that some staff members collect tips from some passengers who struggle to book online.
One of the officers said, “You will be wasting your time if you continue trying online. If you are serious about travelling to your destination, you have to look for one of those members of staff and sort them. I can assure you that you won’t be able to book any tickets.’
Another passenger aware of this dishonest act said, “How can someone have this confidence to negotiate to collect money from stranded passengers? This is something the government declared to be free but someone is here. Normally, he is supposed to be arrested. They have already bombarded the site. They are all making money from it.
“No matter how good a system is, some people will just bastardize it. He is even a youth for that matter. But these same people will always complain about the government. They always complain about corruption but they are corrupt.” He added
Another passenger, who was also familiar with the matter but missed the train, Ibrahim Tunji said, “I think he was charging 6,000 for the business ticket. If I can even get it from him, I will be happy because I need to travel today. I have already missed this one (8. am train). Maybe by 4 pm, I can return but I have to confirm if I can get the ticket before returning here.”
A lady who arrived just 30 minutes before the train left told The PUNCH, “This is Nigeria, I knew that when I got here I would be able to get a ticket. I didn’t come early enough though but at least I was here before the train left.’
The lady said, “Some people who even came before me got tickets from that guy. He sold tickets to those ladies who just arrived. I will see if he will give me a ticket. I know it’s not free but I am ready to pay.”
The passengers urged the NRC and other relevant authorities to promptly address the technical glitches and investigate the alleged misconduct to uphold the integrity of the free train ride initiative.
“The authorities must try and get these people arrested for sabotaging the process,” a man who was not able to book online lamented.
“Some of them have about 50 tickets in their possession and they are selling it because they know we need it at this time,” he said.’’
Technical glitches
Several passengers who spoke to The PUNCH confirmed that the e-ticketing platform is facing technical obstacles hindering them from booking online.
The e-ticketing platform created by the Nigeria Railway Corporation kicked off in November and customers who tried to book their tickets online at the time complained of the glitches
A young man, Ridwan who intended to travel to Ibadan arrived at the station by 6.49 am with his luggage hoping to get the ticket.
He complained “I have tried several times for the past two days to book online but I haven’t been able to do that. Even now as I speak to you, I am still trying it out. The platform is down.”
Ridwan added, “With the way I am seeing it, I don’t think I will be able to even buy the ticket. The crowd here is huge and I don’t have the luxury to stay in the queue.”
A station source had alleged on Thursday that the IT department’s manipulations rendered the e-ticketing platform inaccessible.
The source said, “I am beginning to suspect these guys in charge of the backend. It’s like some of them change the password. It seems they are just booking these tickets for themselves.
“We know how these things work but I won’t say much until tomorrow. All the people here have not been able to book any tickets. They have been trying it but to no avail,” he claimed.
Another individual who missed the 8 a.m. train, Uche Duru said, “I suspect that some people already booked online before the announcement of the free ride was made. So, certainly, they are probably attending to those people.”
Passengers’ sentiments
Both passengers and officials expressed expectations of continued high demand for the free train rides. They anticipated further adjustments to streamline the process and accommodate the growing number of commuters.
Before President Tinubu’s announcement, train fares from Lagos to Ibadan previously cost N3,600 for economy class; N6,500 for business class; and N9,000 for first class.
Commuters expressed a mix of excitement and appreciation for the opportunity to travel without cost. Many highlighted the financial relief and convenience offered by the free rides.
One of the beneficiaries of the free ride, Taiwo Tosin, looks at the free ride beyond the financial gains.
“Trains give comfort better than buses. This is my first experience and it was enjoyable. I intend to go back to Ibadan before the free ride ends.
“You can see many people who missed the train are still here waiting. They have refused to go to the bus park. It’s not just about the money for them. Some want to experience what the train feels like,” Tosin said.
A 60-year-old woman, who was able to book online, expressed her gratitude, stating, “Before today, passengers paid N1,600 to Kajola, but it’s free now. I didn’t even need to book; upon arriving, I walked into the ticketing hall, and the attendant handed me this ticket.
“I appreciate the government’s effort in this regard; it will certainly alleviate financial burdens.”
“Not all the passengers, who successfully booked tickets online, were able to board the train to Ibadan and Abeokuta. Some couldn’t enter the train because the crowd was too much,” a ticketing officer informed The PUNCH.
The officer added, “The crowd today was massive, with expectations of even more passengers tomorrow, given the free service.”
The NRC spokesperson, Yakub Mahmoud, declined to comment on the alleged extortion.
But an anonymous senior official stated that those accused of exploiting the system were not NRC staff but rather agents employed by influential figures within the system.
The Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Fidet Okhiria said the agency had yet to recover from previous fare waivers by the Federal Government.
Okhiria expressed concerns over the intervention, urging the government to defray the cost.
He said, “This is not the first time. We did this two years ago. It was effective. I say we’ve yet to recover from that. But what is the government for? The government is to make sure that people have comfort as much as possible
“And we are quite willing and wishing to provide that service. You know, don’t forget that in developed countries, they get this thing either directly or indirectly.
“You recall during the COVID, even private companies were given relief, and those without jobs like in the UK, US, and everywhere…So it’s a good thing that the government considers we should do a free service, but they should also be willing to provide the resources to do it.”
The NRC boss explained that because of the high price of diesel which the trains run on, the government should make provisions to cover the cost and other logistics.
“We are hoping this time they are going to give us fuel and in those 15 days, we are going to provide the free service. They are also willing to provide at least the money we pay to the cleaners and the security,” he added.
