As NRC resumes train services on the Abuja -Kaduna rail corridor, the minister of transportation, Mu’azu Sambo says passengers without NIN will not be allowed to purchase tickets.
The Minister who spoke after a test ride on the repaired track said all that is humanly possible has been done to secure the lives of passengers on the train.
Mu’azu Sambo who arrived the station at Idu in the company of his counterpart from water resources Engr Suleiman Adamu, Minister of state transport Ademola Adegoroye,Ā Ā chairman NRC ,Engr Ibrahim Alhassan and the MD railway,Engr Fidet Okhiria started the test ride with an inspection of the additional security infrastructure and security personnel.
Thereafter the entourage boarded the train and took a ride to Rigasa station in Kaduna.
After inspecting the new infrastructure at Kaduna, the Minster spoke to the press on the level of preparation for resumption of services on the corridor.
He said he had kept his word that services would not resume untill everyone in captivity had regained freedom adding that 90 percent of the security measures are in place but services would only resume when the remaining ten percent are completed and Nigerians adequately sensitized as to the new mode of operation.
He emphasized the fact that no passenger can purchase a ticket or board a train without NIN. However minors can have their tickets purchased by an adult, at the same time, each adult can only purchase tickets for four minors. This he said is to ensure passengers are profiled.
Some of the measures revealed by Sambo include increased security personnel, remote monitoring of the train from start to end of each trip and ability of drivers to detect unusual activity on the track from a distance.
The minister of water resources Engr Suleiman Adamu also expressed satisfaction with the measures he had seen and called on citizens to partner the government to achieve security by providing useful information.
He called on Nigerians to resume their normal travel on the trains as soon as services resume as he is sure that it is safe to do so contrary to the fear created by the attackers.
Train Services on Abuja Kaduna Corridor were suspended about 8 months ago following the unfortunate attack and kidnap of over a hundred passengers all of who have been realeased.
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