Abuja-Kaduna: FG Laments Persisting Train Ticket Racketeering

The Federal Government has expressed concerns over the “unabated” ticket racketeering, seeking ways to curb the menace and not deny passengers access to train services.

This was noted at Tuesday’s plenary session by the representative of the Igabi constituency, Kaduna State, Zayyad Ibrahim.

Ibrahim said that the efforts of the government to curb ticket racketeering remain unresolved, as some individuals have maneuvered ways to cheat the system and rip off the citizens, selling tickets for the Abuja-Kaduna bound train at exorbitant prices.

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Effects of racketeering

The lawmaker argued that if the racketeering endured, the train would leave the station without filling up to capacity, as many passengers would be turned away.

He said, “The e-Ticketing System for the Abuja-Kaduna train services enabled commuters to book tickets online, thus curbing ticket racketeering and the stress of purchasing tickets at the train stations.

“[We are] concerned that ticket racketeering, which the e-Ticketing System sought to eradicate, is still going on unabated, as tickets can no longer be adequately accessed online due to the mischievous activities of some people, who buy wholesale tickets and resell to passengers at exorbitant prices.

“Taking cognisance of the fact that if the activities of racketeers are not curbed, passengers will continue to be denied the privilege of accessing the train services as, sometimes, a train may leave the station without carrying the required number of passengers, because the tickets are not accessible or affordable to majority of passengers.”

The Abuja-Kaduna train was launched by the Buhari-led administration in 2016, as part of the Federal Government’s efforts to reduce the hassle of road commute.

However, as the number of passengers grew, the ugly head of racketeering reared its head, an action that the government sought to control through the attendant e-ticketing system.