The federal government (FG), while asking for understanding, has explained why it recently increased fares for the Warri-Itakpe Train Service (WITS).
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the explanation is coming on the heels of a report published by this medium in which users of the WITS expressed grave displeasure in using the train service.
Users of the train service had lamented the recent increase in the cost of using the WITS and analysed it against the inconveniences that come along with using the service.
Recall that the management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) in August hiked the cost of travelling along the WITS routes.
Findings by TNG reveals that the cost of train from Itakpe to Ujevwu in Warri, which started at N1,900.00 has been increased to N2200, and more recently to N3,000.00.
TNG reports NRC hike in fare also affected passengers who usually travelled from Itakpe to Uromi at the cost of N1050 but now being made to cough out N1600.
While fares for other stops within the route were also affected, the FG has explained that the increase in fares is due to the cost of running the rail.
Dr Magdalene Ajani, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, who gave the explanation on Friday, assured that with time, the fares will come down.
Responding to complaints by some passengers as she was inspecting facilities at Agenebode rail station in Edo State, Dr Ajani appealed to users of the WITS to bear with the government, saying the projects were procured through loans.
She said that the government was not running to make any gain but to maintain the facilities and pay back the loans.
“I am assuring you that with time, things will come down, the increase in fares is due to the cost of running the rail.
”Government will address all these challenges, which is the aim of this inspection to ensure passengers are comfortable,” she said.
Meanwhile, Mr Kingsley John, a passenger, who appreciated the FG for its efforts to revamp the rail sector, appealed to the government to ensure the sustainability of the projects across the country.
Another passenger Mrs Elizabeth Mathew, said she was worried over the sudden increase in the fare from N1,000, which was paid before to N2,000 and N3,000, from Kogi to Delta.
“It is worrisome on the sudden increase in the transport fare, I want government to please consider that the rail initiative is meant to ease transportation fare for Nigerians,” she said.
Earlier, one aggrieved passenger, Mrs Ijeoma Okonkwo, a nursing mother, had compared the rising cost and inconveniences of using the WITS to travelling with God is Good (GIG) motors, and said passengers might be forced to revert to road transport or other means to travel to Warri if the challenges were not addressed.
“With the recent increase in train fare, if NRC continues to increase fare, gradually the Warri-Itakpe Train Service will start to lose customers and by extension, revenue. This is why.
“God is Good to Warri from Utako, Abuja is N12,000.00 or thereabout. Meanwhile, transporters are taking advantage of the patronage to increase the fare to get to Itakpe so much that to get to Itakpe before you board the train is now about N4,000.00.
“The train fare has been increased to N5,000.00 for first class (FC) and N3,000.00 for standard class (SC); add the inconveniences of getting to Itakpe from Abuja, while you can just conveniently get to Utako to board GIG.
“In addition, granted the WITS now operates a double schedule, there is no way passengers can meet up with the 8 am schedule travelling from Abuja. This means travelling at 2:45 pm, passengers get to Warri late, when they can get to Warri earlier using GIG. Not to add the inconveniences and cost of leaving Agbarho or Ujevwu to PTI Junction or Effurun Roundabout.
“More also, returning to Abuja from Warri, transporters at Itakpe have increased fare from there to Jabi. Sometimes, you pay as high as N4,000.00 to get to Jabi. The increase in fare by NRC and transporters will degrade the use of the WITS.
“For the WITS to continue to stay relevant, the government must put one and two together before ever considering increasing fare for the WITS.
“Also, the government should consider linking the WITS to the federal capital territory (FCT) to remove the inconveniences of having to travel to Itakpe before using this service.
“If not, the WITS will start to lose passengers and by extension, revenue,” Mrs Okonkwo said.
TNG reports Ajani was accompanied during the inspection tour by a team of officials from the Ministry of Transportation.
The team visited other rail stations, including Agbor in Delta, Igbanke, Ekenhe, Uromi, Itogbo in Edo and Itakpe and Ajaokuta stations in Kogi.
Some of the challenges at some rail stations included lack of boreholes to supply water, lack of office furniture, electricity, lack of chairs for the passengers and no permanent police post, among others.
