The Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Alkali has berated the design of the Kubwa, Abuja, train station which denies the physically challenged and the elderly people the opportunity to enjoy the services.
Alkali expressed dissatisfaction with the design which has indirectly marginalized the physically challenged and elderly people while undertaking an unscheduled inspection of the train station on Monday.
The minister said that his visit was informed primarily by the report of vandalism of the main power supply from the national grid to the train station.
The power source vandalism has plunged the train station into darkness and its management has to rely on alternative sources to power their operations.
Senator Alkali also sought to see that the security and welfare of passengers are not compromised.
The minister undertook the visit in the company of his Permanent Secretary, Adeleye Adeoye; the Director, Rail Transport Services, Engr. Fimbarr Zirarr; the Director, Press and Public Relations and some of his aides.
The Managing Director of Nigeria Railway Corporation, Engr. Fidet Okhiria was also in the minister’s entourage.
When he got to the station a few minutes after the scheduled train had left the station, the minister expressed dismay that many staff members were not at their duty posts. The station was almost shut down with the luggage security scanners. Also, the power supply was not on.
He later proceeded to inspect the vandalised power installation. He was taken round by the station manager.
Alkali urged a quick liaison by Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) and the station manager with Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) for a quick restoration and ensure more security for the facility.
While also inspecting more of the station’s facilities, Senator Alkali discovered that the staircase that passengers use when disembarking from trains coming inward to Kubwa, Abuja from Rigasa in Abuja, are not friendly to the physically challenged and the elderly.
There is no escalator. The minister described this as an error of design, which did not consider the physically challenged and the elderly. He then asked the Director, Rail Services, to take note and correct the error “at the level of the ministry, the NRC and the contractor.”
The minister also inspected the communication rooms where he discovered that the communication equipment installed there had stopped working.
Also, one of the two installed luggage security scanners has also stopped working. The one which was working, the minister asked, should be powered for him to observe how it works.
He also ordered that toilets and car parks should be put in proper shapes.
“After the inspection, we have taken note of several facilities that should serve the users of the station. We will be retreating to the office to do the needful at the level of the ministry, the Railway Corporation, and of course, the contractor, to see how we can fix them,” he said.
