So I wanted to take a train ride today with my Friend and colleague to Kaduna. I first went to the station at Idu on Thursday to know how much the fare is and how to locate the station. I was told I couldn’t pre order my ticket and would have to come on Saturday.
This morning, we got there just in time to meet the first train for 7am. We met many other Nigerians there who were ranting. Some came with their kids after promising a ride in the train only to find this notice on the Ticketing entrance.
Some set of people were at the train station on Friday, yesterday to make enquiries about the fare and travel time, they were not told that the trains wouldn’t work today.
Two men were there yesterday to board the 2pm train for Friday but they missed it and were asked to join the first train today by 7pm, only for them to get there and find this notice.
Some of their staff even resumed work today only to find the notice. What kind of maintenance would be taking place on the 1st of October, a Saturday, a day most passengers would like to travel?
I find it rather convenient that they didn’t announce it on their website or on radio. The trains only travel by 7am and 2pm, can’t maintenance be carried out between this time without disruption of service? How is it that it is all the trains that need maintenance or is it the softwares, applications or systems that need maintenance?
Is it that they don’t have a PR manager or Communications officer that could make this announcement at least, 24 hours earlier? Why did the maintenance come in such short notice?
How many airlines or transport companies close because of a “maintenance” ?
Trains that haven’t worked in years, now it is working and Nigerians are willing to patronise it, look at how we ourselves are messing up. Do we have to privatise every sector before they will work efficiently?
I just weak for this country, another reason I don’t have anything to celebrate on this Independence. Let’s not forget I haven’t seen light since on Monday.
