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Lagos says bus reforms to create 3,000 jobs

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6 years ago

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The Lagos State government has said no fewer than 3,000 jobs would be created when the 13 bus terminals springing across the city finally comes on stream. This is as it disclosed that about 473 buses to flag-off operation of the bus reform would soon arriving the country.

Speaking over the weekend during a media tour to both the Ikeja and yet to be completed Oshodi Bus Terminals, the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation Mr Ladi Lawanson, said the bus terminals are part of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s gift to the 12 million masses of the state, who uses public transportation daily.

He said the terminals will put an end to insecurity, unreliability, accident and mugging associated with the current commercial bus regime in the state.

Lawanson said construction is ongoing in 13 different bus terminals all aimed at ensuring that more people embrace public transportation and that sanity returns to the roads.

He said: “We have Alapere Bus Shelter, Ilupeju Bus depot, Yaba Bus Terminal, Anthony Bus depot, Maryland Bus Terminal, Agege Bus Terminal, Ojota Bus Terminal, Oyingbo Bus Terminal, Tafawa Balewa Square Bus Terminal among other proposed corridors.

“These facilities will provide over 3,000 jobs for youths and increase transport connections and inter modal connectivity in the state.”

Speaking, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy Kehinde Bamigbetan, said the idea is to cater for low and medium income residents who cannot afford to fuel their own cars every day.

“We are expecting over 800 buses that the government has procured to kick-start operation for the benefit of the residents,” he said.

He said the Ikeja Bus Terminal is a major transportation infrastructure constructed to improve efficiency, adding that 23 routes would be serviced from the terminal and while the facility would be servicing 400,000 passengers daily. It would reduce traffic congestion, occasioned by the present street loading and dropping off of passengers and reduce environmental pollution.

Bamigbetan said the Ikeja terminal has facility to cater for 100 buses daily, adding that the government hoped to take off with the Ikeja-Obalende route before June ending.

Also speaking, the Managing Director Planet Project Mr Biodun Otunola said the Ikeja Bus Terminal which sits on 10,000 square metres of land is more than a bus stop as “some ignorant critics have lately being ranting.”

He said the facility has a sheltered walkway, 13 ticketing booths, an ATM gallery, and a food court. Also, the facility has a functional Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) which makes routes and travel planning easy. The terminal is provides conveniences for both sexes and free wifi spot for the use of commuters.

Otunola who also took the reporters on tour of the Oshodi Bus Terminal and Interchange said the iconic terminal on completion would be servicing 300,000 passenger traffic every day, which he said is projected to hit one million in the next five years.

He said each of the three wings five-floor terminals, which would be completed with a skywalk is the first of its kind in the world. “While Terminal One, is intercity transport, Terminal Two exclusively services intra city transportation, while Terminal Three would service Lagos Island, Ikorodu corridor. Each terminals is one five floors, has multi-level car park, conveniences, six lifts and one escalator each, food court, a park and ride facility, CCTv system, holding bay with capacity for 70 buses and a control centre.”

Otunola described what is going on in Lagos as revolutionary as it was the first time government is deliberately planning and providing world class facility to road transport users. He added that the facilities presently going on across the state would redefine the transportation system in the state.

He said the Oshodi interchange will be delivered by October this year.

The tour was led by the Commissioners for Transportation and Information and Strategy, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transportation Mr Taiwo Olufemi Salaam, Mamaging Director of the Lagos State Bus Services Ltd., Mr Idowu Oguntola, MD Planet Projects Ltd., Mr Biodun Otunola, directors in the Ministry of Transportation, among others.

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Transport

Federal Government To Launch Out 2700 CNG Buses, Tricycles Ahead Of First anniversary Of Tinubu’s Administration

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1 week ago

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April 22, 2024

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The Presidency on Sunday said it was ready to launch about 2,700 CNG-powered buses and tricycles before May 29 when President Bola Tinubu turns one year in office.

“All is now ready for delivery of the first set of critical assets for deployment and launch of the CNG initiative ahead of the first anniversary of the Tinubu administration on May 29.”

It said the Federal Government is set to deliver 100 conversion workshops and 60 refuelling sites spread across 18 states before the end of 2024.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, revealed this in a statement he signed Sunday titled ‘Presidential CNG initiative set for rollout.’

“From the end of May, Nigeria will take some baby steps to join such nations that already have large fleets of CNG vehicles.

The CNG tricycle
The CNG buses

“All is now ready for delivery of the first set of critical assets for deployment and launch of the CNG initiative ahead of the first anniversary of the Tinubu administration on May 29.

“About 2,500 of the tricycles will be ready before May 29, 2024…working towards delivering 200 units before the first anniversary of the Tinubu administration,” said the Presidency.

He also said that over 600 buses are targeted for production in the first phase which will be accomplished in 2024.

In October 2023, about five months after the removal of the petrol subsidy, President Tinubu launched the Presidential CNG Initiative to deliver cheaper, safer and more climate-friendly energy.

The CNG Initiative was designed to deliver compressed natural gas, especially for mass transit.

The Federal Government earmarked N100bn (part of the N500bn palliative budget) to purchase 5500 CNG vehicles (buses and tricycles), 100 Electric buses and over 20,000 CNG conversion kits, with plans to develop CNG refilling stations and electric charging stations nationwide.

The FG had said the initiative would ease the burden of the increased pump price on the masses.More information added that the creation of a new plant on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway that will assemble the tricycles while Brilliant EV will assemble electric vehicles when it receives the Semi Knocked Down components.

The Presidency explained further, “The SKD parts manufactured by the Chinese company LUOJIA in partnership with its local partner to support the consortium of local suppliers of CNG tricycles are set for shipment to Nigeria and expected to arrive early in May.

It is expected that before 2027, There’ll be a considerable wave of these buses and tricycles in use.

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Transport

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu Unveils First Set of Electric Buses In Lagos

Published

1 year ago

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May 2, 2023

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The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has announced the first set of electric buses for the state’s mass transit scheme.

Sanwo-Olu announced this on his Instagram page on Sunday, as he shared pictures of the buses.

He partly wrote, “I am excited to announce the first set of electric buses in the Lagos Mass transit master plan as part of our increased effort to modernise every sector of Lagos.

“Thanks to our partnership with #Oando_PLC, Lagosians can expect a cleaner and greener public transportation system.

“With the ability to travel 280 km at full charge, taking into account our unique travel times in Lagos, our electric buses are a game-changer.”

Here are pictures of the electric bus.

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Transport

Federal Executive Council Approve the sum of N453.90bn for Kano Rail Line under construction

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1 year ago

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March 23, 2023

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The Federal Executive Council has approved the sum of N453.90bn for the procurement of rolling stock, operation and maintenance equipment for the Kano-Maradi standard gauge rail line currently under construction.

The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Wednesday, March 22, after this week’s Council meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The approved sum also includes N510.93m meant for procuring four customised fire service/search and rescue vans in seaports at Port Harcourt, Lagos Port Complex, Tincan Island port and the Marina headquarters of the Nigerian Ports Authority.

The 248km rail line will traverses Kano, other cities such as Kazaure in Bauchi State, Daura and Mashi in Katsina State; Dutse in Jigawa State, the border town of Jibia, before terminating in Niger Republic’s trade and agricultural hub of Maradi.

According to a former Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, the line has 15 stations along its path with a forecasted daily traffic of 9,364 passengers and approximately 3000 metric tons of cargo.

However, the project has been fraught with resistance, especially from lawmakers.

However, on Wednesday, Sambo said: “The memorandum sought council’s consideration and approval for the award of contract for the procurement of rolling stock, operation or maintenance equipment for the Kano-Maradi standard gauge rail line that is currently under construction.

“The contract was awarded to MSSRs Mota-Engil Nigeria Limited, who are the contractors handling this particular project in the sum of $984,722,302.5 inclusive of seven and a half per cent VAT with a completion period of four years.”

Sambo also revealed that the Transport ministry presented another memo on behalf of the Nigerian Ports Authority “for the award of contract for the construction and supply of four customised Fire Service search and rescue vans for extrication of accident victims for Rivers Ports in Port Harcourt, Lagos Port complex, Tincan Island Port and the Marina headquarters of the NPA, all in Lagos.

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