The bus reform project, initiated to redefine public transportation and make Lagos State globally competitive, will take off in March, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has said. It will begin with 820 high and medium capacity buses.
Speaking during inspection of some projects, said under the project, 5,000 buses would be injected and modern terminals built to facilitate movement and boost the economy, among others.
At the assembly plant at Awoyaya in Ibeju Lekki, where 500 of the 820 buses are being kept, he hoped that the buses would be rolled out after the elections.
The buses are equipped with cameras, USB point, Internet, television and special spaces for the physically-challenged, expectant mothers and the aged, among others.
“This is an assembly plant. The dream is that beyond the procurement of 820 buses by the government, the next set of buses should be assembled in Lagos in this assembly plant and another one in Epe.
“That is the dream. The whole project is scalable and in this scale right now, we would run with the 820. You have seen the maintenance workshops and all that, and then the next scale, which is the next phase, is for Nigerians to be able to assemble the buses in Lagos and then we create employment opportunities and also allow the gross domestic product (GDP) of Lagos to grow.
“The buses are ready and we think with everything we have done, we should be able to roll out these buses maybe immediately after the elections,” the governor said in a issued statement yesterday.
He said the private sector would be involved in the project in order to get more buses as the proposed 5000 were not enough.
“What has happened is that the government has gone ahead to procure these buses, using its funds. The buses are being owned by a government company called Lagos Bus Services Limited (LBSL). So, the LBSL will lease these buses to operators, who will use the three depots at Oshodi, Anthony and Yaba to ensure that the buses are sustained and maintained properly so that they don’t get wasted before their lifespan expires.
“By the time you put these buses on the road, it will create jobs for drivers, engineers, technicians, and so on, thereby growing the economy. So, the idea is to create jobs, grow the economy, make the city to be globally competitive and make life comfortable for the people.”
Other projects inspected are Oshodi Transport Interchange, which is 85 per cent completed; bus depots in Oshodi, Yaba and Oyingbo to be ready in March; International Airport Road to be ready early May and Oshodi-Abule Egba Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor to be delivered in April.
The bus depots are equipped with offices dormitories, 30,000 litres underground tank, 30, 000 litres overhead tank, automated and elevated car wash, toilets, fuel dump, utility buildings and central workshop for spare parts and operational offices, and maintance equipment.
Ambode, who harped on continuity, said the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, would adopt the projects.
