The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has approved free rides on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors on Christmas and New Year days for all residents on Saturday, 25th December, 2021 and Saturday, 1st of January, 2022, in celebration of the festive season.
A statement signed by the Managing Director, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Engr. (Mrs.) Abimbola Akinajo, said the free commuter bus services are being offered to Lagosians in the spirit of joy, love and peace which the festive season signifies.
According to her, the Sanwo-Olu led administration is committed to ensuring the execution of the Strategic Transport Master Plan via the Multimodal Transport System currently taking shape through water transportation and the ongoing Blue and Red Lines rail projects.
“The Governor has given his promise for the commencement of passenger operations on the first two phases of the State’s rail lines – Blue and Red. He has demonstrated his commitment to the completion of both rail lines by sourcing funds for their completion and provision of rolling stock. What is therefore expected of Lagosians is to support him towards the realisation of the Greater Lagos vision”, Mrs. Akinajo stated.
The Managing Director expressed the Lagos State Government’s gratitude for the patience and perseverance the citizenry has shown in the face of the discomfort accompanied with the construction of transport infrastructure, assuring that consistent and spirited efforts are being made to improve public transport and traffic management.
While extending yuletide compliments to all Lagosians, Mrs. Akinajo enjoined everyone to observe all extant COVID-19 safety rules and travel safely during the festive period.
The Lagos State Government has announced diversion of traffic on Ahmadu Bello Way from Adeola Odeku Intersection inwards Adetokunbo Ademola Roundabout (Eko Hotel), Victoria Island from 8:00am to 2:00pm tomorrow Thursday 9th December, 2021.
Announcing the diversion plan, the Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde explained that the route will be temporarily unavailable for motorists to ply, assuring that alternative routes have been mapped out to ease traffic flow within and around the designated route.
According to the Transport Commissioner, motorists will be diverted to Adeola Odeku via Akin Adesola, adding that motorists will also be diverted to Oyin Jolayemi, Oko Awo and Sanusi Fafunwa as Akin Adesola connecting Ahmadu Bello Way by IBM will be closed off to vehicular movement.
Alternately, Ozumba Mbadiwe will be accessible for motorists to link their destinations as traffic from Ozumba Mbadiwe inbound Adetokunbo Ademola will be diverted to Ajose Adeogun, Sanusi Fafunwa or redirected back to Civic Events Centre axis to continue their journey
The Commissioner reiterated that all feeder roads leading to Ahmadu Bello Way from Adeola Odeku intersection as well as those leading to Eko Hotel from Adetokunbo Ademola Roundabout will be temporarily closed to traffic from early hours of the stated date.
While assuring motorists that signages will be mounted along the routes to guide movements, Oladeinde also affirmed that the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, (LASTMA) will be on ground to manage the inconvenience and reduce travel time.
The State Government appealed to the citizenry with emphasis to those who reside and do business at the aforementioned axis to cooperate with the interventions made available to manage movement within and around Victoria Island, stressing that the traffic diversion is for a short period.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Lagos State will on Monday commence ‘Operation Show Your Driver’s License and Vehicle License’.
In a statement on Sunday, the Commander, Olusegun Ogungbemide condemned how owners of vehicles, tricycle and bike riders ply the road without permit.
Ogungbemide lamented that a high number of permanent driver’s licenses were yet to be picked from FRSC stations.
The first phase of the operation showed that a number of motorists drive without valid documentation while some don’t have.
“With the recent increase in vehicular movements as a result of the ember months, there is the need for all drivers to be handy with their driver’s licenses.
“The exercise will ensure all drivers have valid vehicle papers”, Ogungbemide added. The operation starts Monday, October 4 and will end October 10, 2021.
The FRSC hinted that defaulters will have their vehicles impounded until they provide genuine documents.
The commander said the National Road Traffic Regulations (NRTR) 2021, Regulation 67(1) states that any person driving a vehicle on any public road must be in possession of an original driver’s license.
Traffic on Oduduwa Way and Oduduwa Crescent in Ikeja Local Government Area will be diverted for six days, the Lagos State Government announced on Monday.
The diversion which will start on August 31 is to allow for the construction of culverts that will channel stormwater towards the outfall across Agege Motor Road by Sogunle Bus Stop.
The state Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, disclosed this in a statement in which he assured of alternative routes to ease movement during the construction period.
According to the statement, Oladeinde “said motorists coming from Ladipo to link Mobolaji Bank Anthony/Maryland should connect Works Road to Oba Akinjobi Way, take a left turn and connect Joel Ogunaike Street inwards Mobolaji Bank Anthony/Maryland to access their desired destinations.
“Oladeinde advised road users from Ladipo end of Adekunle Fajuyi Way intending to link Mobolaji Bank Anthony/Maryland to connect Sowemimo Street, through Oladipo Bateye Street, and link Oba Akinjobi Way roundabout to Oba Dosumu Road to access Isaac John Street and turn right to Sobo Arobiodu or left to Mobolaji Bank Anthony/Maryland.
“The Commissioner implored motorists coming from Mobolaji Bank Anthony/Maryland to Sogunle/Agege Motor Road to connect Isaac John Street and turn left to Sobo Arobiodu, through Sasegbon Street, to connect Oba Akinjobi Way and Works Road to access Sogunle/Agege Motor Road for their desired destinations.
“While appealing to motorists to comply with the directives of the State’s Traffic Management Authority, (LASTMA) to minimise the inconveniences that may arise, Oladeinde assured that the ongoing rehabilitation of roads infrastructure would improve the movement of vehicle owners and road users, thereby easing traffic congestion within the metropolis.”
The Federal Road Safety Corps, Lagos Sector Command has concluded arrangements to carry out free safety checks on vehicles within the state.
The Sector Commander, Corps Commander Olusegun Ogungbemide said all commands within the state will commence the 4-days free exercise from March 18 to assist motorists in detecting faults in their vehicles.
Ogungbemide said that the exercise was an initiative of the Corps and a checklist ticket will be issued at the end for follow-up and to encourage the drivers fix any defect discovered in the process.
“The step is necessary to forestall incessant breakdown of vehicles on the road and ensure free flow of traffic especially with the various ongoing rehabilitation/repair in the State.
“The exercise will start from Thursday 18th to Sunday 21st March, 2021 simultaneously on all FRSC formations across Lagos.
“Please be informed that any detected fault does not attract sanction within this period, rather request for such fault to be rectified. This could be seen as Quarterly Corporate Social Responsibility of the Corps to the motoring public.
You are implored to cooperate with the operatives please,” Ogungbemide said.
The FRSC boss advised motorists to obey traffic rules and regulations while also always ensuring that their vehicles are roadworthy.
He said that the command would not condone any act of traffic violations in the state.
He further stated that the operation will be carried out by operatives including Special Marshals throughout the duration of the exercise.
Hundreds of commuters were stranded on Monday as commercial drivers suspended operation in protest against alleged extortion by union officials on the Badagry Expressway in Lagos State.
The protesters, who displayed placards with different inscriptions, lamented that the National Union of Road Transport Workers and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria had made commercial transportation burdensome, adding that drivers and conductors usually face inhumane treatment from union officials under the guise of collecting money for daily tickets.
PUNCH Metro gathered that trouble started between the commercial drivers and RTEAN last Wednesday when its members compelled the drivers operating between Badagry and Mile 2 to pay N800 for a new ticket.
A transporter, Isaac Olalekan, said the commercial drivers suspended operation last Thursday because of the new ticket, adding that RTEAN compelled the drivers to pay N800 for the ticket at every bus stop.
He stated, “We started protesting around 7.15am from Agbara to Iyana Ira bus stop that we don’t want the ticket, others protested in other areas simply because union members are many on the road and are disturbing us from Badagry to Mile 2. They suddenly brought the ticket and started compelling us to pay N800. If RTEAN members collect money from transporters today, the NURTW members will work tomorrow.
“But RTEAN claimed that the new ticket was obtained from the Lagos State Government. How will they be compelling us to pay N800 for a ticket at every junction? We asked why we were being asked to pay for the same ticket multiple times and they said it was from the government, but when we asked our colleagues at Iyana Ipaja, they said there was no such ticket there.
“We suspended operation on Thursday; no commercial vehicle is operating on the Badagry Expressway and most commuters convey themselves to their destinations through the use of personal vehicles or motorcycles. A lot of commuters are stranded.”
Another commercial driver, Ahmed Kolawole, said transport business in the area was no longer profitable, adding that union members had been extorting them with the ticket sales.
A commuter, Olaoluwa Hakeem, said, “All the motorcycles plying the route are demanding N1,500 from here to Mile 2. It is between N150 and N200 if commercial buses are available. I have been here for over three hours and I am thinking of returning home.”
Stranded commuters on Badagry Express way
The Zonal Chairman, RTEAN, Igboelerin, Abdulateef Ajibola, explained, “This ticket is not a union ticket; it is a state government ticket from the Ministry of Transportation. We used to pay for the local government ticket, but the state government invited us to a meeting and informed us that the local government ticket has been suspended and that the state would be issuing the ticket to the union.
“It is the government that has the power and not the transport unions, so we complied with the government’s directive. But we told them that N800 for the ticket was much; even the union ticket is N200 per day, but the government never listened to us and we have to comply since the government is the one issuing us permits for our parks.”
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Toyin Fayinka, said, “The Lagos State Government is aware of the N800 ticket. Before we rolled out the ticket, wider consultation was done and we held more than 10 meetings with the heads of the NURTW and RTEAN, and equally met with the local government chairmen before we agreed.
“Out of this N800, the local government will have its share, the state government will have its share, the driver will have his share, the park and its environment will also have its share. If you are a transporter and you are to drive your vehicle from Ikorodu and a Lagos State Government ticket is issued to you for N800, if you take off from Ikorodu and pick passengers at Ketu, and you also pick passengers on Lagos Island, you do same when you get to Epe, nobody will give you another ticket. It is N800 per vehicle per day.”
When asked the purpose the N800 ticket serves, Fayinka said, “Before now, a driver will just stop at a park and they will collect money from him without being issued any receipt or tax clearance. But we have agreed with the unions that the names, telephone numbers and pictures of the drivers paying this N800 must be documented.
“As agreed, at the end of the year, the Lagos Internal Revenue Service will now give the drivers certificate of tax clearance as they will have deducted an amount on a daily basis from the N800 the drivers are paying.”
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos is planning to phase out the yellow-coloured commercial buses, otherwise known as danfo, in the state.
The state Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde revealed this during a virtual meeting where he disclosed that the yellow buses will be replaced with blue buses.
He explained that the move is in accordance with the state government’s transportation masterplan.
“We are reforming the bus sector and over time, Lagos will phase out the yellow buses because the yellow buses are not conducive for a mega city like Lagos. That is why we are coming with blue buses you see around.
“We are inviting the private sector to participate in the provision of public transport services. We are also deploying technology just to ensure that we can up our game in terms of efficiency.”
Responding to questions raised regarding the Apapa gridlock, the commissioner said the government was committed to ending the traffic menace by committing hectares of land in Iganmu and Ogun as transit truck parks while relying on the Eto app which would be deployed on February 27.
He said, “Lagos State in collaboration with the Nigerian Ports Authority invited a concessionaire and that concessionaire developed an Eto app that will be deployed February 27.
“Lagos State has committed 31 hectares of land in Iganmu called the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Truck Park to complement what is at Lilypond and we are talking to the Ogun State Government to secure a land in Ogere.”
Similarly, Oladeinde said, the state had come up with a parking strategy named the Lagos State Parking Strategy. He disclosed that a parking authority had been set up with the mandate to regulate parking on the roads.
MTN Nigeria said it has commenced enrollment for National Identification Number, NIN.
MTN’s Senior Manager, External Relations, Funso Aina, said that the telco had secured Nigerian Identity Management Commission licence for NIN enrollment and had begun enrollment at some of its centres in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja.
He noted that MTN had invested in acquiring devices aligned with NIMC standard.
He also assured that the number of locations would increase with time.
Aina said, “We have commenced enrollment for NIN at a limited number of locations.
“This number will rise as certification and other dependencies on the Nigerian Identity Management Commission for roll-out of such locations are addressed.
“We have applied for and secured NIMC licence for enrollment. Additionally, we have invested in acquiring devices aligned with NIMC standard.”
“We continue to work with NIMC, NCC and other stakeholders towards resolution of issues which are outside our control, but are nevertheless key dependencies for further roll-out.”
The Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria, ALTON Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, said in a matter of weeks every operator would start NIN enrollment.
He noted that operators had commenced preparatory arrangements in the regard of procurement, licensing and deployment.
Adebayo said, “There are still administrative issues that are now being concluded.
“There were procurement issues which was taking a little bit of time to start, but once operators start, we’ll ensure that the enrollment would commence and be wrapped with full speed.”
Adebayo added that regardless of the difference in time, the entire industry were all committed to the exercise.
Nigerians have been crowding NIMC registration centres in the bid to beat the Federal Government’s February 9 deadline for integration of subscribers’ numbers with their NINs.
This prompted NIMC to license the telcos and other entities to provide identity numbers to those that have not been able to secure their own from the limited registration centres.
