The Federal Government has launched an electronic ticketing platform for the Abuja – Kaduna rail as a way of curbing the issues of racketeering as well as ensure adequate revenue collection for government.
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Ameachi, in a virtual launch on Thursday said that the process marks the beginning of automation of ticket sales in all major stations in Abuja- Kaduna train service in line with global world best practices.
According to the Minister, the N900m project is being delivered on a Public Private Partnership arrangement whose ownership will be reverted back to the Nigerian Railway Corporation after ten years.
The Chairman of the Governing Board, NRC, Ibrahim Alhassan Musa, in his remarks, said that the e- ticketing platform would address the issue of ticket racketeering at train Stations.
The Chief Executive Officer, Secure ID Solutions, Kofo Akinkugbe, also noted that the launch would mark the nation’s entry into the new age of multi- model ticketing in public transportation.
She said the move would also guarantee passengers’ convenience, efficiency and accountability for operators and provide data for government for better decision making.
According to the CEO, the e- ticketing solution after a successful pilot program has already issued 25,000 online tickets.
According to her, the platform offers an increased customer experience such as convenient ticket purchase 24 hours a day, seat selection, and secure online payments, with no physical interaction among others.