Some passengers at Idu Rail Station in Abuja have expressed frustration and ‘confusion’ following the introduction of online ticketing system by the Nigeria Railway Corporation for Abuja-Kaduna train service.
Daily Trust reports that the service was launched on Wednesday and passengers can buy and print their tickets online.
Our correspondent also gathered that commuters can also buy tickets at the station using the NRC PoS machine.
However, some passengers have lamented the ‘difficulty’ the E-ticketing system posed to them on first day of usage.
A passenger, Mohammed Shehu, in a message sent to Daily Trust, noted the system would prove difficult for travellers with no access to smart phones and internet access.
“As is always characteristic of Nigeria, complete confusion and frustration has been created by Nigeria Railway Corporation Management in the name of implementation of online payment.
“It is unheard of that the management decided to start online payment today and completely stopped cash payment,” he lamented.
Shehu said aside the difficulty those with no access to smartphones will face, “NRC has no way of verifying payment through a terminal.
“Those who paid and their telephone goes off cannot be verified, hence cannot travel.
“They have to physically collect everybody’s telephone thus compromising the social distance promoted by the same government.
“The hand held instrument is not effective. It is taking up to three minutes and sometime longer time to verify payment.
“The management has completely stopped cash payment. So no alternative to their web based payment.
“Though a global practice, online payment are usually cheaper since it reduces risk of handling cash, allow the organisation to get money in advance etc, the NRC increased the ticket price by more than 5% because of online payment.
“After creating confusion, they eventually allowed cash payment longer after the departure time.
“NRC eventually sold tickets through cash payment for seats already sold through online payment because they have no means of verifying those who paid online.
“Inside the train, confusion and fighting all over.
“All these is happening not because Nigeria does not have intelligent, patriotic and reasonable people to manage its affair.
“It is because we have a system that consistently promotes the most useless and visionless people to lead and manage us. It is very unfortunate.” Shehu narrated.
