Some travelers in Ibadan, Oyo State capital have appealed to the Federal Government to acquire bigger coaches for the test-run service of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) new Standard Gauge services.
Intending passengers about to board free train ride at Iju station in Lagos on Thursday
The passengers who benefited from the free train ride offered by the NRC made the appeal while speaking on Tuesday in Ibadan.
This they believed would ease the pressure on Lagos/Ibadan Express Way.
The ongoing Ibadan Lagos test run service which commenced Dec. 3 is faster than the old Narrow Guage.
Mr Abisogun Gboyega, a civil engineer, said that the test run service was a nice initiative by the railway service which could be better improved upon.
“I am taking this trip because of my daughter who wants to have a travel by train experience.
“The cabins are very conducive and ultramodern but there are conveniences that must come with the services.
“When we got here, we had to wait in the open space with dust and under the sun.
“One would expect that there should be a reception bay and conveniences in the waiting area, even mobile ones.
“Also the coaches can only carry 40 passengers each, which apparently is a VIP coach, I would look forward to coaches that can take 500 passengers each on a trip at a reasonable cost
“This will greatly reduce the pressure on our roads and reduce road accident rates,” he said.
Another Ibadan resident, Mrs Oluwaseun Disu, who said she was taking the test run service for a second time, said that the ticket were given on first come first serve basis.
“The experience has been wonderful, but to benefit from the free ticket which is given to you as you come, you have to come as early as 5 a.m.
“It is an opportunity to meet more people, there is no traffic, no disturbances and no road accidents and I think this should be readily available throughout the country.
“Government should employ more people to make this a sustainable,” she said.
A Chief Traffic Officer, Movement and Logistics NRC, Mr Akinlade Sunday said NRC had to turn back many people because of the number of available spaces.
“The experience since this test run started has been so good.
“Unfortunately, however, we could not carry the number of passengers that came because of the limited coaches we have.
“We hope that soon all our teething problems will be resolved,” he said.
NAN correspondent who went on the trip observed that there were two coaches with a 40 passenger capacity each.
There were more people than the available spaces and the coaches were filled.
The route of the speed train line, which went through Ibadan-Omi Adio- Olodo-Abeokuta- Agbado-Agege making a final destination in Lagos took off at 9 a.m took two hours and thirty minutes.
