By Yusuf Odejobi
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) announced on Wednesday that it has commenced the e-ticketing for train services on the Abuja-Kaduna route and would be on test run for a week before its formal inauguration on January 20.
This was disclosed by the NRC Managing Director, Mr Fidet Okhiria while addressing the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
“We have commenced the e-ticketing for the Abuja -Kaduna train service today. We intend to test-run this process for about a week after which the formal inauguration will be done at the Ministry of Transportation on January 20.
“The essence of this e-ticketing is to enable people to access tickets easily with fewer hurdles and especially during this period of social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
According to Okhiria, the e-ticketing platform will guarantee orderliness in purchasing of tickets and address some major security challenges in the country.
He added that the e-ticketing would also ensure that the database of all passengers boarding the train were captured in case of emergencies and for other purposes.
The passengers are expected to check in with a government-issued photo identication card such as driver’s license, passport etc in order to receive their boarding pass.
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi also confirmed the e-ticketing service in a tweet.
“Yes, we have commenced test bookings on the NRC E-ticketing platform, starting with the Abuja-Kaduna rail line. Next week, we’ll launch fully. Check it out and make bookings at: https://nrc.tps.ng.” he tweeted.
