When Nigeria’s former President, Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday April 24, 2019 unveiled the world-class Oshodi Transport Interchange built by Lagos State government and declared that the interchange will change the face of public transportation in the country, he merely stated the obvious.
Buhari had said from the outset that,”The New Oshodi Transport Interchange, the mass transit medium and high-capacity public buses and the reconstructed Murtala Mohammed International Airport Road by Lagos State government clearly demonstrate the need to continue to provide high impact projects for the development of infrastructure and opportunities for job creation at all levels.
“This transport interchange with different terminals is going to change the face of public transportation. The mass transit buses totaling 820 buses will also move the people of Lagos State in a more comfortable and more efficient manner.”
Overtime activities at Oshodi Transport Interchange designed to address the traffic, environmental and security problems in and around the Oshodi area have surpassed the expectations of motorists, commuters and residents.
Oshodi is what it is, it is a major place in Lagos State and a lot of people, who travel in and out of Lagos and those who move within the state go through the place. It is arguably the busiest transport interchange in Nigeria with thousands of buses loading from there per day. Available statistics showed that before now, there were 30 independent parks and 500 buses loading there at a time to different destinations including West African countries. There are close to one million people walking through Oshodi per day.
Thus, at the conception of the projects, experts affirmed that the facility will not only solve transport problems, it will address environmental problems as well as security issues.
A motorist that identified himself as Gabriel Mbonu and was at the facility to board a luxurious bus en route to the South East said , “What fascinated me is the sight of the neatly arranged and well-designed kiosks at Terminal One of the multi-million naira Oshodi Mega Bus Terminus.
“I am not new in Lagos, this used to be a place for the good, bad and ugly. When you are in doubt of what sanity and insanity meant you come to this place. You see genuine travellers and criminals masquerading as travellers competing for space. You know what the criminals were always smarter.
“In fact the atmosphere and the ambience at the Terminal One of the Mega Bus Terminus, Oshodi is totally different now because there is sanity, orderliness, and rest of mind, you see security operatives moving about and you feel secured. The presence of the eagle-eyed has helped to checkmate the activities of hoodlums in the facility.
He applauded Lagos state government for not initiating such a facility but ensuring that it is well maintained.
Another traveller Henry Yusuf said, “The general atmosphere is calm and there is sanity. This is not different from what you see in the developed world. There is nothing that cannot be achieved. Look at how the state government working with the private sector has managed to contend with the total nuisance, which Oshodi of old was synonymous with. It has been done in Lagos. It can be done elsewhere. It has redefined the intra and inter-state commuters experience for good.’’
‘ With capable managers of the facility, the gross lack of maintenance culture we are known for has not been seen in the facility. The beautiful design of the structure is more elegant by the multi-coloured drawings that stand each kiosk out. I was told there are security personnel around. That they don’t wear uniform, according to them, they are mobile policemen. Once there are issues on ground, they swiftly move in. I was told they work in shifts for 24 hours. That is why you see people are not being robbed here.
“There are many kiosks in the basement of Terminal One, where passengers travelling out of the state can refresh themselves. This is very laudable. One area I want them to pay more attention to is convenience. Yes the convenience, the facility managers need to do more work in that area. ’’
Preparation therefore met an opportunity recently when the federal government during the yuletide season when President Bola Tinubu approved a 50 per cent slash in price of interstate transport fare for Nigerians traveling during the yuletide.
LEADERSHIP observed that activities in the facility soared as a result of travellers who thronged the facility to take advantage of the initiative.
Throwing more light on the upsurge of activities in the facility, the Operation Manager, Oshodi Transport Interchange, Kolawole Babatunde said the travelers were trooping to the Oshodi Transport interchange because of compliance with the federal government directives.
He said,”The subsidy has been very effective. The refund of the 50 per cent is being made to them directly and they will count it to ensure it is complete. We have people that paid N30, 000 to the east and they got N15, 000 refund immediately. Once they fill the manifest, they come down from the vehicle to collect their refund. We started on 22nd of December and we have been running this since then. The turnout is much.’’
The Managing Director of Planet Project Limited, Engineer Abiodun Otunola said activities at the transport interchange galloped when the travellers got to know the transport interchange was one of the locations for the implementation of the initiative.
He said the federal government through the laudable initiative succeeded in reducing hardship caused by the removal of fuel subsidy.
Otunola said, “We are the managers of Oshodi Transport Interchange. So far we have had a lot of upsurge in passenger numbers. We have been managing this terminal for the past five years, we could say that we have over 35 per cent increase in the number of passengers compared to what we normally would have recorded during the Christmas period.
“Nigerians kind of troop out and took advantage of the fact that there is a 50 per cent reduction in transport fare. As you know, transport is one of the pain points of the fuel subsidy removal because of this laudable programme by the federal government, a lot of Nigerians troop here on a daily basis , morning, afternoon , evening to take advantage of the opportunity so that they can travel for the yuletide season .
“From this terminal we have run over 6,000 passengers and so far over 700 vehicles in 15 days, which is far far higher than what we could have during the festive period at this point in time based on our historical data.
“Let us take it for what it is. It was more of an emergency programme of the federal government, I think the government deserves a lot of credit for doing this within this period. You know our country for the fact that the transport system , a country of 36 states and Abuja is not well organized as we speak, so you don’t have the institutional strength, you don’t have the infrastructure to implement this kind of programme.
“So you have to give the federal government a lot of credit for this kind of programme. This is the starting point, it is like when we have an election, it is first difficult, but as time goes on it gets better.
“We believe that by the time this project is implemented in subsequent years it will be better, there will be a lot more awareness , communication and information. More stakeholders will be brought on board and the project will be more successful.
“For the first time people were refunded money as high as N15,000 . So they were shocked that even during elections they don’t get that kind of money. From this terminal so far we have been 100 per cent compliant.
A traveller going to Akure, Omoshebi Esther given N3,750 being half of the N7,500 she paid said, “I am very happy. It is a good move by the federal government and we appreciate them for this.
Another traveller, Komolafe Toibat Abolore said, ‘’ Getting here they told us there is a subsidy of 50 per cent and they refunded us N3,000 from our N6,000. We want to say thank you to the federal government of Nigeria. I am a youth Corp member serving in Kwara State. I feel so happy.’’
