Following the need to maintain social distancing, while using the train service, the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, yesterday, said passengers on Abuja-Kaduna railway might have to pay double the transport fare.
Prior to the COVID-19 lockdown, passengers paid N1300 for the economy cabin and N2500 for the executive coach. However, passengers may have to pay N2600 and N5000 respectively by the time train services resume.
Amaechi, who disclosed this while inspecting the Itakpe-Warri railway corridor, said: “In fact, this is more like a test run. I told them I want only 30 persons and I’m sure we are more than that. So imagine what happens when you have to deal with passengers. This test run will make us go back to the drawing board. The first thing we will put in place, when we get approval, is that the cost of transportation from Abuja to Kaduna will double, because each coach takes 88 passengers, but we will reduce it to 40 and the price will increase. We will need to talk to the President before we move on.”
Amaechi, while releasing guidelines for the resumption of train services, said they would also ensure that everybody come with his own 90 percent alcohol based hand sanitiser, adding that passengers must come with face mask, without which they won’t enter the terminal building.
