FOLLOWING the increment in the prices of Mass Transit Trains Services, MTTS, across Lagos and Ogun states axis of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, commuters along the Ijoko-Iddo terminus of the corporation resulted to violence in the early hours of yesterday.
The commuters trooped out in their hundreds just the same way they have been patronising the MTTS in the past years only to resolve into violence stopping the newly introduced Diesel Multiple Units and it’s air-conditioned coaches from progressing to Iddo terminal from Itoki train station. The reason for their action was as a result of the new increase in the prices of the MTTS tickets. Before yesterday, prices for the tickets have been N500 and N150 for first class and second class categories respectively.
The corporation had on May 27 announced fare increment for its services with effect from June 2. The corporation later announced through its Assistant Director, Public Relations, David Ndakotsu, that the corporation had postponed the fares increase until the inauguration of the new Diesel Multiple Units and air-conditioned coaches. The new prices will see first class commuters paying N750 and second class commuters paying N230 as against N150 a situation that led to the Tuesday protest.
Prior to the protest, commuters have lined up at different stations as usual to purchase their tickets only to discover that new tickets bearing N750, N230 have been supplied and being issued to a few commuters, who were willing to buy.
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