The Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Transport Management Authority (LAMATA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, yesterday said that at least 400, 000 commuters would be transported by the Lagos Light Rail project on the Mile 2 axis daily when completed.
This was even as the state Commissioner for Transportation, Kayode Opeifa, insisted that the limitation on driving hours to eight hours at a stretch for commercial bus drivers was to ensure safety and security of lives in the state.
Speaking at the ongoing Press Week of the Lagos State Governor's Office Correspondents (LAGOCO), the LAMATA boss, who said the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) buses would, by 2030, transport 40 million commuters in the state, disclosed that the BRT transport system introduced 10 years ago, has exceeded the agency's expectations.
He added that before the BRT was introduced, LAMATA had projected it transporting 60, 000 passengers daily but it now transports over 200, 000 passengers from one part of the metropolis to another.
Mobereola, who spoke on the theme of the talkshop entitled: "LAMATA at 10: Challenges, Successes and Prospects," Mobereola said; "Gradually, people of Lagos have been abandoning Danfo and Molue buses for BRT. We have been reducing waiting time at the bus stops and the travel time within the metropolis.
He said the Lagos transportation system will collapse if LAMATA fails to plan ahead in spite of the achievements recorded in the past years, adding that the agency have to draw a 20-year transportation developmental plan that covers bus, rail and ferry services including the provision of good roads for the BRT system to run well.
He said part of the plan was the introduction of electronic ticketing system as against the previous paper ticketing system. He added that very soon, LAMATA will also introduce Lagos Connect Card that will make it easier for its holder to use it in boarding BRT, Light Rail and Ferry.
Explaining the delay in the completion of the multi billion naira project, Moberiola said nowhere in the world where a metro line project is started and completed at once, saying light rail projects are done in phases.
Mobereola also said that plans are underway to construct ring-roads across the metropolis to ensure that heavy duty vehicles; particularly oil tankers can reach Apapa Port without plying major roads in the metropolis.
Harping on the regulation of driving time for drivers in Lagos State, the Commissioner described the moves as enforcement of the provisions of the 2012 Road Traffic Law (RTL) regarding the restrictions of operations of commercial drivers to eight hours per day.
He said the essence is to preserve the health and safety of drivers and other road users and the residents.
According to Section 44 Sub-section 1a, b and c of the Lagos Road Traffic Law 2012, drivers are not supposed to work more than a cumulative eight hours per day for them not to be fatigued while driving.
The commissioner, who made the clarification in a statement in Lagos, said the directive became necessary as a lot of drivers have been flouting the law by driving long hours per day without recourse to their health, safety and security implications on themselves and other road users.
He said by maintaining the eight hours cumulative working hours per day as stipulated in the law, drivers, their passengers and other road users would be guaranteed safety through defensive driving as they would be alert to take control of situations on the road while on the wheels.
This is great news. We just need more development in this state for things to get better.