November 9, 2017

Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State says he gets unhappy seeing people in the state standing at bus stops without clue of when the next bus will arrive.

He spoke on Thursday while launching the Intelligence Transport System (ITS) and e-ticketing for commuters using the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).

Queues of Lagosians dot numerous BRT bus stops in several parts of Lagos daily, especially at peak hours, while less orderly crowds are normally seen at other bus stops awaiting “yellow buses“ to take them to their destinations.

Ambode, who launched the e-ticketing and ITS in Ojota area of the state, said the move was another initiative geared toward proper transport planning.

He said that the technology had been designed to indicate where each bus is; how the driver is behaving; the arrival time of a bus and space inside, among others.

“When you look at the city generally, I get so unhappy when I see people standing at the bus stops not knowing when the next bus will arrive.

“The ITS is designed to solve such problem and our people can become more productive and then more comfortable in the way they commute across the city.

“We are starting this from the Ikorodu axis to CMS on the BRT lane and then we will scale it up as we get our new buses in few months away from here,” he said.

Ambode said in addition to that, the e-ticketing allows commuters to plan their little disposable income.

“So, if you are going to budget just N500 for transport in a week, the e-ticketing allows you, rather than not being able to plan your transport movement.

“The truth is this, there are more Lagosians using buses; there are more Lagosians walking on the road than those of us that have cars and so we need to take proper care of them.

“That is the step we are taking here and the reforms we are doing in the transport sector,” he said.

Ambode said that this would ultimately create an integrated transport management system in the city combining water, road, rail, air and pedestrians.

He also said that as part of the Bus Reform Initiative (BRI), additional new 800 buses would be provided in the next two months, while a total of 5,000 would be provided within 24 months.

Ambode also commissioned multiple layby and slip Road in Ketu area of the state as part of measures to find a lasting solution to the perennial traffic gridlock on Ikorodu Road.

He said another multiple layby and slip road with car park and market with big stores would be constructed in Ikosi -sheri area of the state.

Ambode also disclosed that 27,500 sanitation workers employed in line with the Cleaner Lagos Initiative designed to make all parts of the state clean, would commence work in the next three weeks.

He urged residents to cooperate with government, especially by not plying commercial motorcycle, popularly known as Okada in restricted routes, saying that was why the government was providing enough buses.

Responding on behalf of the community, Oba Isiaka Balogun of Ketu commended the governor for the massive infrastructure projects effected in the axis so far, describing them as unprecedented.