In a bid targeted towards development, the Minister of Transportation, Sa’idu Alkali, officially introduced the electronic ticketing system for the Lagos-Ibadan and Itakpe-Warri railway lines. These contracts, awarded by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) earlier this year, were granted to GSD Solution and Fane International Consults, with a total investment of N1.96 billion.
Effective from November 1, Nigerians can take advantage of the new online booking system, accessible through the official Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) website, where they can book their railway tickets using their National Identification Number (NIN).
To demonstrate the ease of the online ticket booking process, Mr. Pushrar Nanda illustrated how customers can purchase up to three tickets, with the NIN of the additional passengers provided to prevent fraudulent activities.
Mr. Olufisayo Ishola, Chairman of Fane International Consults, announced that tickets must be purchased at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure, and there will be no refunds for no-shows. Online payments must be completed within five minutes, with a N100 convenience fee applied to online bookings.
Furthermore, for those who prefer purchasing tickets in person, point-of-sale machines will be available at the stations. These machines will be seamlessly integrated with the system to ensure secure and transparent payment processes. Additionally, a verification checkpoint will be in place before boarding to verify that passenger data matches the information on the ticket.
Fidet Okharia, the Managing Director of NRC, expressed confidence that this initiative will boost revenue for the country, already noting a positive revenue increase on the Warri-Itakpe route.
The Minister assured Nigerians that their data would be secure, as the booking process takes place on a government-owned website.
