“It's a 3-Year Plan”: Lagos State Government Introduces New Transport Programme

“It's a 3-Year Plan”: Lagos State Government Introduces New Transport Programme

  • The Lagos state government is determined to restructure its public transport system and make it formal
  • To do this, a new transport program has been introduced, and it is expected to give birth to a working system in 3 years
  • Lagos remains the hub for businesses and the headquarters for large corporations in Nigeria

Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of experience covering business and the economy.

Lagos state government has introduced a new transport initiative called Bus Industry Transition Programme (BITP).

The BITP is an initiative with the goal of establishing a policy framework to transform the current bus industry and formulate a fresh business model that integrates existing bus operators and their routes into a network of eight prospective Quality Bus Corridors (QBCs).

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Lagos state government
Lagos govt wants to restructure its transport system Photo credit: LASG
Source: Twitter

Oluwaseun Osiyemi, the state Commissioner for Transportation, while addressing the state lawmakers, explained that the initiative will curb the unscrupulous activities associated with the yellow commercial buses, the Nation reports.

He stated:

"The BITP is a program that Lagos residents should welcome. It is a three-year strategic initiative aimed at integrating the informal sector with the formal sector. The city's yellow bus system is widely recognized for its disorder.
"Significant collaboration is taking place with the participation of various stakeholders. Substantial efforts are currently underway. At this moment, data collection is in progress to determine the routes being used and the volume of commuters.."

Osiyemi added that the state government would work with transport unions to reassure them they will be part of the restructuring.

"We are not negating the existing efforts; instead, we are in the process of formalising this sector to create a more efficient transportation system. This transformation is vital for building the type of mega city we aspire to become.

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"These initiatives are part of a comprehensive three-year plan, and we are currently implementing it in stages. As we progress, we anticipate that Lagosians will benefit from and take pride in the outcomes of these efforts.
“Therefore, it involves a lot of stakeholder engagements to be able to explain, especially what we are planning to do with the transport unions, so that at least, they will be in the know of what we are trying to do. It will come out well, and I can assure you that by the time we are done, the kind of Mega City that we pray for will come to play."

Nigerian automobile company partners with government to ease transportation costs with electric vehicles

Legit.ng earlier reported that Delta State Government and Jet System Automobile Industry Limited forged a collaborative venture to ease transportation costs in the state.

The prospective agreement centres on embracing electric vehicles (EVs) and erecting hubs for charging said EVs across the region.

It would be recalled that Legit.ng earlier reported that the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) bought locally-made electric vehicles with their charging infrastructure from Nigerian technology firm Jet Motors.

Source: Legit.ng

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Dave Ibemere (Senior Business Editor) Dave Ibemere is a senior business editor at Legit.ng. He is a financial journalist with over a decade of experience in print and online media. He also holds a Master's degree from the University of Lagos. He is a member of the African Academy for Open-Source Investigation (AAOSI), the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and other media think tank groups. He previously worked with The Guardian, BusinessDay, and headed the business desk at Ripples Nigeria. Email: dave.ibemere@corp.legit.ng.