Aware that the survival and indeed the extent of development of any economy depend very significantly on the extent of development and efficiency of its transportation system, the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration has spared no effort in standardizing transport situations in the state.
To fully tackle the horrendous traffic congestion that had become a fixture in all the axial roads in the state, the Sanwo-Olu government inculcated transportation into its THEMES Agenda, adopting an inter-model system of transportation, comprising inter connectivity of road, water and rail as its policy direction.
Their calculation is that the roads can only be free if other means of transportation like water and rail are developed side by side with land transportation.
To achieve effective result, a round peg was fixed in a round hole in the person of Dr. Frederic Oladeinde to pilot the state’s Ministry of Transportation. Having gotten that right, the administration embarked on formulation and execution of a number of programmes , carefully tailored to provide relief to teeming Lagosians.
The full resolve of this administration to bring Lagos at par with other modern mega cities of the world was recently demonstrated by the completion of rail infrastructure in readiness to provide railway services for the people.
Reminiscing on the successes made so far in the transportation sector, the state’s commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde said, ‘’About three and a half years ago when the present administration came into office, Mr. Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu enunciated his vision for the development of the state in the T.H.E.M.E.S developmental agenda. As the officer responsible for the first pillar of the agenda, that is; Traffic Management and Transportation, I can attest to the passion of Mr. Governor in the area of our core competence to keep Lagos moving.
‘’The launch of the completion of infrastructure for the first phase of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line rail is a confirmation of Mr. Governor’s expounded vision for public transportation.
‘’In the last three and a half years, and with the support of Mr. Governor, we have improved 41 junctions, which have significantly reduced congestion within the identified localities, thereby promoting economic growth for both formal and informal sectors. Thirteen other junctions are currently under improvement while six others are at the concept design stage of improvement.
‘’Mr. Governor in his quest to ensure effective and efficient management of traffic within the state, reduce road crashes and enhance free flow of traffic for its economic prosperity, graciously gave approval for the recruitment of additional 1,000 LASTMA personnel, a development which has reduced traffic infractions by 60 per cent as well as enhanced recovery process by 87 per cent.
‘’Within the life of this administration, the Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) now has an operational headquarters, the MVAA now has more one Stop centres across the state to make vehicle administration easily accessible to the general public, the Lagos State Parking Authority commenced operation and Lagos State Drivers Institute has significantly improved on driver’s education.’’
He explained that the state government has also taken over the management of the gridlock that has come to characterize Apapa from the Presidential Task Force in a bid to improve the traffic situation within Apapa.
‘’In the area of Intelligent Transport System (ITS), the government has focused on the optimization of the transport network through the identification of 60 gridlock points for traffic signalization, completion of 431.84 kilometres of road marking from 2019 till date, painting of 1,513,487 kilometres kerbs among others.
‘’To improve traffic enforcement and service delivery, the Ministry has installed 24 fixed and 10 mobile cameras across the state to ensure compliance with road traffic laws and minimize physical interactions between motorists and the law enforcement officers thereby bringing about a drastic reduction of attacks on enforcement officers.
‘’Under Mr. Governor’s watch, the ministry has deployed AutoVIN Technology to eliminate multiple vehicle registration, improve vehicle security in the state and enhance accident investigation. There are now 29 computerized vehicle inspection centres across the state. We now manage, coordinate and regulate e-hailing services in a bid to promote safety, security of lives and property.’’
In the area of public transportation, he said the government has deployed high capacity, ‘’medium and First and Last Mile buses, enhanced water transportation, fixed bad roads, expanded Bus Rapid Transit network and decongested traffic by connecting more communities with new link roads and bridges.
‘’In the search for cleaner energy in public transport, the state is in the forefront of driving sustainable mobility with the deployment of 10 buses running on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) since September 2022, as a pilot project with the objective of collecting data for informed investment decisions in such vehicles. This is being carried out with a mission to reducing pollution associated with public transport, improve the health condition of the people as well as enhance private sector partnership in regulated public transport.’’
In all of these, the good news is that the first passenger trip marked the completion of civil infrastructure work on the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) being constructed by Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).
The completed tracks span 13 kilometres in the first phase and it extends from Mile 2 to Marina, covering five stations.
It would be recalled that the construction started in 2010 under the administration of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola. It experienced some delays in the succeeding administration, before the current government continued from 2019.
Basking in the euphoria of the development, Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu declared the end of construction on the Blue Rail Line project, keeping to the December 2022 deadline. The rail infrastructure, he said, is now ready for commissioning in January by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Governor said the milestone was a culmination of “impactful reforms” initiated in the state’s transport ecosystem, which started at the beginning of the fourth republic under the administration of his predecessor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Sanwo-Olu described the moment as “historic”, saying Lagos became the first sub-national government in Africa to fund and deliver a rail system from the state’s balance sheet.
The Governor said the construction of the second phase of the Blue Line rail project, which covers 14-kilometre from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko, will be launched immediately after the completion and inauguration of the first phase next month.
He said: “The completion of the infrastructure for the first phase of the Lagos Blue Line rail is a strong testimony of our commitment to building on the legacies of past administrations, and the pioneering vision of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This milestone in the development of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) is the culmination of several impactful reforms in the transport ecosystem of Lagos, starting in 1999.
“The Tinubu administration developed the Strategic Transport Master Plan (STMP), which laid out the foundation for a network of robust and modern transport infrastructure befitting the 21st century city. The master plan has six rail lines and one monorail, 14 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors, over 20 water routes and a number of major new roads. Central to the implementation of the transport master plan is LAMATA established in 2002.
“Over the last two decades, that masterplan has been faithfully implemented by successive administrations. Today, we are making history with the completion of the historic rail line, which is the first phase of the Blue Line. The road to the completion of this project, no doubt, has had an interesting story of delays, which were not due to a lack of enthusiasm or commitment on the part of the state government. Now, we have put the challenges behind us; from now on, we will focus on the benefits of this project for our people.”
After commissioning, Sanwo-Olu said passenger operations would not commence until the project undergoes necessary test-running and proper security measures are put in place along the rail corridor.
The Governor said the state had already taken the delivery of the three sets of wagons that would be used for passenger operations.
The completed rail infrastructure, he said, has the capacity to move 250,000 passengers daily. When the second phase is completed, he said the entire project would take 500,000 people daily.
Sanwo-Olu said his administration’s vision for an integrated transport system, as enunciated in the T.H.E.M.E.S agenda, was beginning to be a reality, stressing that the transportation plan of his government was a multimodal approach that would bring road, rail, and waterways together for seamless mobility.
The Governor acknowledged the effort of his predecessor, ex-Governor Fashola, toward bringing the vision to life, even as he lauded the leadership of the Central Bank of Nigeria for allowing Lagos access its differentiated cash reserves, which was disbursed through three financial institutions – Access Bank, Sterling Bank and Fidelity Bank – that created innovative funding model for the Blue Line project.
He said: “To the good people of Lagos, this project is for you and your families. It is about your livelihood and sustenance. We promised to make your life better by this project, which will help you to commute from one part of the city to another in a safe and secure manner. We gave you this commitment and now, we have kept our promises.
“We thank you for your patience and for bearing with us in the face of all the inconveniences thrown up by the implementation of the Light Rail network. This project is for you; ensure you safeguard it. Bear in mind that this rail system is powered by electricity; there must not be a trespass on it in any way. Crossing the tracks is no longer an option. Anyone who attempts vandalism on the track put his life at great risk. Pedestrian bridges have been provided to enable pedestrian crossings.”
For LAMATA Managing Director, Engr. Abimbola Akinajo, the development marked a new chapter for Lagos, saying the completion of the rail infrastructure manifested the audacious mind of the Governor.
She stressed that the development signified the importance the Sanwo-Olu administration accorded to the delivery of integrated transportation system for the state and traffic management.
Akinajo said the Blue Line is one of the six rail lines articulated in the state’s strategic transportation master plan, noting that the construction was funded from the State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). This, she said, is unprecedented in the history of rail construction across the world.
She said: “Construction of the Blue Line has been one of the most challenging projects undertaken by the Lagos Sttae government, given many hitches that had to be overcome. To get to the point of completion, we have had disturbances and delays in the relocation of submarine cables, gas pipelines and removal of shipwrecks. This made the construction of the submarine pillar extremely difficult.
“Today, the story has changed. We are taking the first ride in the train, which marks the beginning of our testing phases for the Blue Line. Passengers will use the State’s unified electronic payment system known as Cowry card currently being used for BRT and regulated ferry services. The completion of civil infrastructure work is the manifestation of the audacious mind and courage of the Governor.”
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