The Nigerian Federal Government has announced, the concession of the e-ticketing service of the Abuja-Kaduna rail corridor to SecurID for a period of 10 years at the cost of N900 million.
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi made the announcement at the official inauguration of the e-ticketing service at a virtual event in Abuja.
Amaechi also made known that the N900 million 10-year deal was a public private partnership initiative, adding that SecureID would provide the service and run it for a period of 10 years to regain its investment before reverting ownership to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
Amaechi further disclosed that numerous complaints by commuters on ticket racketeering at the Abuja-Kaduna rail stations were what led to the introduction of the e-ticketing solution, adding that the online ticketing solution marked the beginning of automation of ticket sales in all major stations on the Abuja-Kaduna train service.
“It is in line with global best practice and will enhance efficiency, save time and promote accountability, while also reducing leakage and promoting economic growth.” He said.
The Chairman of the Governing Board of NRC, Ibrahim Musa, while speaking during the event, said the e-ticketing solution had finally put an end to the persistent allegation of ticket racketeering at the train stations.
The Chief Executive Officer SecureID Solutions, Kofo Akinkugbe noted that the inauguration of the service would lead to multi-model ticketing in public transportation, while allowing for accountability for operators, efficiency and passenger convenience.
Akinkugbe said the service would provide data for government in making better decisions that would enhance the operations of Nigeria’s railways, adding that after a successful pilot programme that was done last week, the e-ticketing solution had issued 25,000 tickets online.
She said an increased customer experience such as seat selection, secured online payments, convenient ticket purchase 24 hours a day, and no physical interaction, among others, were some of the benefits that the solution offered.
