A train attendant serves a passenger in a train during a test-drive of the SGR a day before its official launch on May 31. [Photo/ the-star.co.ke]
The issue of inadequate phone operators is derailing buying of SGR passenger trains tickets through M-Pesa.
Passengers booking the Madaraka Express train on phone have been complaining they have not been able to reach to operators running the free toll lines, making it hard to buy tickets and book seats.Travelers said the toll free lines which operate between 7am and 4pm remain mal-functional for most hours of the day.SGR passengers who spoke to the media on Monday said they had contacted the SGR call centre but received no response.“I have been calling the line for the better part of the day but no one has been picking my calls,” said Erastus Mulwa.“As we speak, I am planning to go to Syokimau train terminus and book manually as I have rescheduled my plans to travel to Mombasa on Wednesday,” he added.Kenya Railways, however, said the booking hitch is a result of few operators. It added that employees manning the call centres were few.“There are so many calls coming in at a time. You have to exercise some level of patience for it to be received as there are few operators manning the lines at the moment,” said corporate affairs manager Mary Oyuke, as quoted by Business Daily.Travelers booking tickets via M-Pesa must first call to book space before paying for the tickets through a paybill account.