Mr. Niyi Alli, NRC Director of Operations, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday.
The federal government had on April 28 announced a ban on interstate travels with effect from May 4, 2020 due to the spread of coronavirus.
“We cannot commence operations of Mass Transit Train Service (MTTS) until the interstate travel ban is lifted by the Federal Government,’’ he said.
Alli said that NRC was working out new acceptable guidelines of operation in order to help contain the spread of COVID-19, NAN reports.
”We are working out modalities on how to operate because the train is the largest means of transportation in commuting people from one state to another.
”Although the corporation has lost so much financially, the safety of our customers remains paramount.
“We have been receiving calls, messages from our esteemed customers to commence operations but we cannot flout the federal government law on the interstate travel ban.
“The federal government is our employer, we have to work with them to contain the spread of this pandemic ravaging the world,” he said.
The NRC boss lamented that the Eid-al-Fitr celebration is one of the peak periods of the Mass Transit Train Service but the lockdown has kept business still.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK