KUNLE OLUTAYO
Passengers of the Lagos-Ogun Mass Transit Train (MTT), have raised the alarm over astronomical increase in the ticket fare from N460 to N700.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), announced a 25 per cent increase in fare in the Mass Transit Train Service (MTTS), which moves from Kajola, Ifo Local Government, Ogun State, to Iddo, Lagos State.
The new rate, which came into effect on Tuesday, resulted in the fare being increased from N460 to N700 and has caused a face-off between the corporation and its passengers, many of who complained that the new rate was inconsiderate and was slammed on them without any notice.
The passengers alleged that the management showed more interest in running the narrow gauge trains on profit, rather than meeting the needs of passengers on board the mass transit train.
They said the available train was barely able to cater for the surge and queried why no attempt had been made in the last one decade to add or repair any of the old locomotive coaches, to add to the two that had been working.
Lagos Railway District Manager, Tony Arase, an engineer, said the coaches were being refurbished in phases.
He said the management was not unaware of the challenges and inconveniences passengers were facing, adding that “most of the challenges are being worked upon, but this is based on funds availability.”
Arase said the first phase of six coaches was being refurbished at Iddo and Loco workshops, noting that “as soon as work on the coaches is completed, they will be attached to the existing coaches in the corporation’s fleet.”
He said after the first phase, another batch of six coaches would be removed from operation and sent to the workshops for refurbishing so as not to completely ground train operation.
