AKWA IBOM TRANSPORT SECTOR GENERATES ₦14M WEEKLY AS E-TICKETING BOOSTS IGR
Read Time:2 Minute, 41 Second
By: Muftau Fatimo
The Akwa Ibom State Government has announced that its transport sector generates about ₦14 million weekly from the electronic sale of daily tickets to commercial tricycle (keke) operators and minibus drivers within Uyo metropolis.
The state Commissioner for Transport, Dr Anthony Luke, disclosed this to journalists in Uyo on Saturday, describing the development as one of the achievements recorded by Governor Umo Eno’s administration in the transport sector over the past three years.
According to Luke, the state generates approximately ₦2 million daily from the electronic ticketing system, which requires commercial tricycle and minibus operators to pay ₦200 and ₦300, respectively, before 9 a.m.
He explained that the ministry sells 100,946 electronic tickets daily to transport operators, adding that the revenue is paid directly into the government’s coffers through the Treasury Single Account (TSA).
“Now we record ₦2 million daily and receive ₦14 million in a week. We have recruited 143 enforcers for the sale of e-tickets to transport operators. The money is sent straight to government coffers under the present Single Treasury Account. This increases Akwa Ibom’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) daily,” Luke said.
The commissioner noted that the introduction of electronic ticketing had also helped the government identify revenue leakages within the transport sector.
He recalled that the ministry’s records showed that many operators were previously not paying their daily tickets, despite the registration of 5,794 tricycle operators with the ministry.
Luke said the electronic ticketing system had improved revenue collection by ensuring that commercial tricycle and minibus operators paid their daily charges electronically, allowing the government to receive the proceeds directly.
He further claimed that the initiative had contributed to a 109 per cent increase in the state’s Internally Generated Revenue, noting that revenue collection had continued to improve since the system was introduced.
The commissioner attributed the successful implementation of the electronic ticketing system to the collaboration between the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Science and Digital Economy, headed by Ekpenyong Udo Ekpenyong, which provided the technical support required for the initiative.
Speaking on the technology behind the system, Ekpenyong described the development as unprecedented in Akwa Ibom State’s history, attributing its success to Governor Eno’s Arise Agenda.
He disclosed that surveillance cameras had been installed at strategic locations across Uyo metropolis to monitor the activities of tricycle operators and minibus drivers.
According to him, the cameras would help enforce compliance with the ticketing system, improve passenger safety and assist security agencies in tracking individuals involved in criminal activities.
“With cameras installed around the city, no keke operator would escape from paying for the ticket,” Ekpenyong said.
He added that the surveillance system would make it more difficult for criminals to use commercial tricycles to commit offences, as the cameras could help security agencies trace riders and obtain relevant information during investigations.
Ekpenyong said the combination of electronic ticketing and citywide surveillance was part of the state government’s efforts to strengthen revenue generation, improve security and regulate commercial transportation across Uyo.
The state government says the initiative has improved accountability in transport revenue collection while providing a technological framework for monitoring commercial transport operations.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0