Lagos goes tough on illegal train passengers

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Lagos State Government,in collaboration with the management of Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC, has set machinery in motion to curb the menace of passengers hanging on train in the state.

Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, spoke after a brief meeting with the management of NRC, led by its Managing Director, Engineer Adeseyi Sijuwade, in Alausa, yesterday.

He said the partnership would also tackle all issues that posed security challenges along the various rail routes through a special task force to be set up to ensure success of the exercise.

He listed the challenges to include, incessant hanging of passengers on the train, street trading and encroachment by members of road transport workers on the rail line.

He said: “We have been fully briefed and you need to appreciate the fact that we don’t want people hanging on the train. We have also learnt from the rail way Police Command that these people that hang on the train are tough and they also avoid arrest.”

Opeifa said the government was also mindful of how the railway police carry out enforcement to avoid fatalities, stressing that all the stakeholders involved would be mobilised to ensure that the menace is stopped headlong.

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