Passengers protest hike in fares at Itapke-Ajaokuta train station

Passengers travelling by the train service at Itapke Ajaokuta train Station of the Nigerian Railway Corporation in Kogi State have protested the outrageous fare charged by the operators.

The passengers in their numbers were seen lamenting that the management and staffers of the Itapke station aside from hoarding the tickets, unilaterally increased the fares.

On Thursday, passengers travelling to Delta were meant to pay N3,000 but to the surprise of the passengers on Friday, the operators hiked the fares to N5,500.

The operators according to the passengers who spoke with the newsmen said they got to the train station only to be told that the tickets have been exhausted.

But upon mounting pressures and seeing the desperateness of the passengers, the operators offered the tickets to the passengers at the cost of N5,500 for a journey that was a little above N2,700 in the past.

According to Sunday James and Ukpewe Ogienebiko, prospective passengers to Warri who paid the increased fares, “we are lamenting that such malpractices by the operators must be stopped so as not to erode the plans by President Mohammadu Buhari in making train transportation an alternative means of transport.”

The operators of the train station who could not give any reason for the increase, turned deaf ears to the questions of the passengers, insisting that they are acting on instructions.

However, all efforts by Tribune Online to speak with the Head of the Itapke train Station or those connected with the sales of the ticket on why the sudden rise in fares proved abortive as they said they were instructed not to speak with journalists.

As of press time, many of the passengers were left stranded on what to do, with many seen returning to their homes or travelling by other means to their destination.

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