NRC  generates N120m on Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge monthly – MD

Okhiria made the disclosure when the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) team visited NRC Headquarters to present certificate of Business Case for expanding and further developments of Nation’s transport sector in Lagos on Sunday.

Mr Fidet Okhiria said that the corporation had started the trier of operations between Lagos/Ibadan and Warri /Itakpe which was so far operating smoothly.

He said that NRC had introduced E-ticketing to the Abuja/Kaduna train service which had yielded tremendous benefits.

Okhiria said that apart from users benefit from the introduction of e-ticketing on Abuja /Kaduna train, NRC was also reaping from the benefit of the e-ticketing.

The NRC MD also disclosed that ticket racketeering has  reduced with the introduction of e-ticketing and its technology.

” It can not be perfect in one day, we are also reviewing it on daily, weekly and monthly basis for more improvement, ” Okhiria said.

He said that there was need for the corporation to introduce e-ticketing to Lagos/Ibadan and Warri /Itakpe which made the management to meet with Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) for a business case.

Okhiria said that after due process, the ICRC was officially presenting the Outline Business Case certificate to enable NRC advertise the project of E-ticketing to secure E-ticketing solutions.

The Director Operations of NRC, Niyi Alli, said the introduction of e-ticketing would ease all the difficulties faced by passenger getting ticket before boarding train.

The Acting Director, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Mike Ohiani, had commended the effort of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), for adopting Public Private Partnerships (PPP) Procurement methodology for developing transport sector.

He said that the desire of NRC was to secure a solution that would be procured through a private operator of payment and validation services,  adding that there would also be an infusion of technology to revolutionise overall service provision.

“In the past, tickets were sold in physical store, or delivered to the respective railway ticket train station for purchase.

The overall scope of both projects is to Design, Finance, operate, Build, Operate and Manage a Secure Ticketing Solution System (Hardware and Software) for the passengers’ stations on the Lagos – Ibadan Standard Train Service and the Warri-Itakpe standard Train Service,”Ohiani said.