Enugu state Government has commenced the enforcement of E- ticketing for Commercial vehicles fromn 19th September to 24th September, 2023.
Commissioner for transport ,Dr. Obi Ozor said it starts from 12:30 pm to give adequate time for drivers to purchase their tickets
Ozor
He made this known during a press conference on complaints over the new E-payment service, he held, Tuesday at the ministry of transport, headquarters,Enugu.
According to the commissioner, the objectives of the E-ticketing are to
consolidate and streamline the process of revenue collection from daily tolls in order to eliminate multiple taxation, promote the ease of doing business for transporters and Ndi Enugu through the elimination of thuggery and transporters harassments and grow the State’s IGR by blocking leakages through the elimination of paper tickets.
Highlighting,the activities of the ministry, the Commissioner said that the ministry had in the past two weeks, seen the tremendous progress that could be made with the full adoption of the e-ticketing solution, adding that the
transport daily toll IGR has grown by 300%.
He said that ,”It has promoted digitization by replacing paper and encouraging environmental sustainability with the use of simple day to day technology tools such as SMS, USSD code and mobile apps.
The Commissioner also explained that it will in the long run begin to shape the mindset of the youths, “the way we think, communicate, work, and interact with the world around us.
“It has also provided legitimate job opportunities for many youths by opening up the system to more agents, more ticketers and a more focused monitoring team,” Ozor said..
He acknowledged the frustrations motorists were faced with and apologized for the inconvenience caused.
The commissioner said that they were actively working on improving the ticketing system to make it more efficient and user-friendly.
“Some of the challenges we have identified include: full alignment of transport unions with the e-ticketing system .Some ticketers are still selling the paper tickets alongside the e-tickets while some are taking advantage to overcharge transporters for the e-tickets
“We have also received complaints of some monitoring teams enforcing the e-tickets on Private Vehicles as well as queues in certain locations to purchase the e-ticket”, he said.
On the steps taken so far to solve the existing challenges, Ozor said that the team is already investigating the reported issues. He urged members of the public to share more details via the contact details: 07040244023 | 08073888511 , transport@enugustate.gov.ng, saying that it will assist the ministry in resolving specific concerns and ensuring a smoother e-ticketing process for all travel operators.
Ozor disclosed that the ministry had introduced some critical reforms to address some of the issues,saying:
“We have engaged and are still engaging all the unions to get them to understand that Enugu State is not going back on e-ticket, while educating them on how this solution can reduce their operating expenses and grow their profit.
“We are working with the law enforcement agencies and the monitoring teams across the State to identify anyone still found selling the paper tickets. We appeal to them to desist from such acts and focus on supporting the great policies of our Governor, H.E. Dr. Peter Mbah.
“We are expanding our publicity and advocacy initiatives to further educate drivers/transporters about the benefits of e-ticketing and the prices during this adoption phase. Our field officers are visiting every location to observe and resolve issues. We are also initiating a weekly radio and TV programme to field questions from our beloved Ndi Enugu.
“We are also onboarding more agents and ticketers on the system to expand coverage and eliminate the queues. We encourage our people to be part of the solution building by applying for a job via the contact details,” he said.
On the sensitization on the purchase of E-ticketing, the Commissooner said that, “the e-ticket is sold strictly to every vehicle used for commercial purposes and Ndi Enugu can also confirm their tickets and even the monitoring team by dialing *8011*042#.
“You do not need internet/data to buy or confirm your e-ticket. The State Government has used a very innovative technology to ensure the product is suited for our unique environment. We also encourage young techies to apply to help scale this technology that is one of its kind across Africa.
“For the next one week (from 19th September 2023 to 24th September 2023), enforcement shall commence from 12:30 pm to give adequate time for drivers to purchase their tickets”, Ozor said..
He noted that the Ministry of Transport and all its departments, including ESTMA staff, have undergone the necessary sensitization training designed to inform and educate all staff about the ongoing reforms, including the ban on revenue collection by any Ministry enforcement official.
On checkmating the activities of the enforcers, the Commissioner said, “the ministry has deployed various ongoing processes and activities to eliminate harassment or extortion of the citizens, as alleged, such as the introduction of the digitized database and electronic human resource tracking system of the ESTMA staff and the road transportation task forces.
“We have created special intelligence monitoring of illegal task forces and illegal revenue collection agents”.
Speaking on the safety of passengers, Ozor disclosed that ,”The Enugu State Government has reimagined passenger manifest across the state for the welfare of commuters in the state.
” The new Enugu State Ministry of Transport, Manifest Insurance Scheme by His Excellency the Governor is meant to improve the welfare and safety of our people while ensuring that commuters are properly compensated in the case of unfortunate incidents. With this new scheme, commuters are now assured to receive 500% more benefits. We encourage all our people to take advantage of this scheme and ask all the transport companies to comply to keep our people safe.
“We encourage our people to ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy and properly fixed for their own protection and that of other motorists in the state. The Ministry of Transport has given grace period for this and would start monitoring compliance in the next one week. Vehicle owners are encouraged to reach out to the Ministry for any form of assistance,” he said.
The Transport boss disclosed that ESTMA now has a new leadership (new Commander), who has been charged with the responsibility of ensuring compliance and safety of Ndi Enugu. He called on Ndi Enugu to channel any complaints, such as bullying, extortion, intimidation of any kind to the dedicated WhatsApp number with evidence, and any staff found complicit will be disciplined accordingly.
“The Ministry is working in close collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Commission to ensure the safety of our road users and commuters. We will educate the general public more in the coming weeks on some of the key reforms from this partnership.
“We are calling on seasoned and prominent Ndi Enugu (senior people who have served in government) with experience in transport, logistics and safety to volunteer to be our eyes in the field to help us checkmate the excesses of our field staff. We intend to have monthly sessions with them where we would address the challenges of our people”, he said
He expressed appreciation on the feedback from motorists and members of the general public regarding the transport e-ticketing (e-payment) service, noting that they were addressing them promptly to enhance their transport experience.
The Commissioner promised that the ministry will continue to resolve issues and update members of the public with the progress they have made.
Author: Maureen Ikpeama