The management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) on Wednesday warned the police, military and paramilitary and other uniformed personnel against boarding its Ogun/Lagos Mass Transit Train (MTTS) without ticket.
The Lagos Railway District Manager, Jerry Oche, gave the warning while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
Mr. Oche said nobody was exempted from purchasing a ticket to board the train.
Uniformed men in Nigeria often refuse to pay transport fares by claiming they are “staff”.
“The management is not under any obligation or agreement with the uniformed men or organisations not to pay for their ride,” Oche said.
He added that the situation was not limited to those in uniform alone but to civilians also irrespective of their status in society.
“It is a grievous offence for anyone to board the train without paying,’’ he said, lamenting that uniformed men were in the habit of entering the train without ticket.
“There is no law in the country which stipulates that anyone should board the train without ticket either in uniform or not.’’
According to him, the penalty for joining the train without ticket does not exempt anyone.
“It has come to the notice of the management that many passengers, including uniformed men usually board the train without ticket.
“The management wishes to say that boarding the train without ticket has no exception and is a serious offence for defaulters regardless of status.
“If one is caught without a ticket, he pays double the fare inside the train.
“But if the passenger refuses and is taken to the police station, he pays N25000 fine and because the police can’t keep him beyond 24 hours, he will be taken to court.
“I have also noticed it on few occasions that I was in the train that uniformed men don’t buy tickets and I forced them to pay and they paid,’’ he added.
The manager added that the management had noticed that some checkers on train deliberately did not demand for tickets from uniformed men aboard.
According to him, the checkers have every right to check and call for the arrest of any passengers without ticket, uniform or no uniform.
