Akwa Ibom State is generating 14 million naira weekly from electronic ticket sales to tricycle and minibus drivers operating in the Uyo metropolis, according to the state's Commissioner for Transport, Dr Anthony Luke. The e-ticketing system has improved the state's internally generated revenue, with the ministry selling 100,946 electronic tickets daily to transport operators at rates of 200 naira for tricycle riders and 300 naira for minibus drivers before 9 am each day, generating 2 million naira in daily revenue.
The transport sector achievement represents a significant boost to the state's revenue collection, having improved internally generated revenue by 109 per cent since the e-ticketing regime began, Dr Luke said. The system has revealed that among 5,794 keke operators registered with the ministry, many were not previously paying for their daily tickets. The ministry has recruited 143 enforcers to manage the sale of e-tickets to transport operators, with revenue going directly to government coffers through the Single Treasury Account.
The e-ticketing system was made possible through collaboration between the Transport Ministry and the Ministry of Science and Digital Economy, headed by Ekpenyong Udo Ekpenyong, who provided technical support. Cameras have been installed across the Uyo metropolis to monitor tricycle and minibus operators, aimed at checking excesses and enhancing passenger security. According to Ekpenyong, the camera network means operators cannot avoid paying for tickets, and the surveillance infrastructure would help security agencies trace criminal activity involving transport vehicles.
The electronic ticket system represents part of Governor Umo Eno's achievements in the transport sector over the past three years. For savers and businesses in Akwa Ibom, the improved revenue collection could affect the state's ability to fund public services and infrastructure projects, though the material does not specify how the additional revenue will be deployed.