Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Lagos State Government has rolled out 500 first and last-mile buses to replace commercial motorcycles popularly known as okadas, as well as 100 high-capacity buses to enhance the mode of transportation in the state.
At the launch of the 500 buses yesterday, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the buses will promote the state’s vision of an intermodal, integrated transport system and enhance passengers’ connectivity to major routes in the state.
“Today, we launched 500 units of First and Last Mile (FLM) buses and 100 high and medium capacity buses for standard routes,” Mr Sanwo-Olu said.
“The FLM buses will serve 286 identified routes within our communities as an alternative to addressing the menace and security threat constituted by Okada riders.
“FLM buses are safe and convenient as commuters will be able to use Cowry Travel Cards – an automated payment system already in use for BRT buses.
“We have delineated the FLM bus corridors into eight zones, comprising Ikeja and Ketu (Zone 1), Oshodi, Mushin, and Surulere (Zone 2), Berger, Yaba and Oyingbo (Zone 3) and Lagos Island, Ajah and Ibeju Lekki (Zone 4).
“Others are Iyana-Ipaja and Agege (Zone 5), Mile 2, Iyana-Iba and Ajeromi (Zone 6), Ikorodu (Zone 7) and Epe and Badagry (Zone 8),” he added.
The Governor said the FLM buses will be increased to 5,000 in the next phase which will be in the coming weeks.
“We added the 100 brand new high and medium capacity buses into the fleet of Lagos Bus Service Limited (LBSL) to replace vehicles burnt at BRT stations during the wave of violence last October,” he added.
“The launch of the FLM Bus Scheme is an important milestone in our quest to achieving the intermodal transport system which gives our teeming population the choices they deserve, reducing congestion and journey times, and improving the quality of life.”
The Sanwo-Olu administration had recently expressed its readiness to renew enforcement on the ban of commercial motorcycles as their operations disregard the provisions entrenched in the 2018 Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, restricting their operations in certain areas of the state.
Asides from the buses, the state is also looking at the procurement of seven new ferries to strengthen water transportation so that Lagosians can have different alternatives that are safer and reliable,
