The Lagos State government has insisted that there is no going back on its plan to ban all unregulated commercial bus operations.
The special adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on transportation, Sola Giwa, told The Vanguard that the reminder on the planned ban, which is in line with the Lagos State Strategic Transportation Master Plan (STMP), was to dismiss rumours that the move had been suspended.
Ahead of the state government’s restructuring plans to improve the commuting experience in the area, they sought the collaboration of public transport bus operators, including Korope/Danfo bus drivers.
Giwa stated that a stakeholders’ meeting was held with bus operators and union leaders on their need to comply before October 1 to successfully regulate and integrate the informal transport sector into the State’s Bus Reform Initiative using the corridor as a pilot test.
Expressing his dissatisfaction with the current state of bus operations on the corridor, Mr Giwa explained that the Ministry of Transportation and Lagos Metropolitan Transport Authority (LAMATA) has already inspected the corridor to identify limitations of seamless traffic flow along the expressway and adjourning roads as well as mapped out a systematic framework to address possible challenges.
Giwa identified some planned solutions as the restructuring of the existing unregulated public transport bus operations on the Lekki Epe corridor, the deployment of high-capacity buses on the corridor as stated in the Lagos Transport Policy and the Bus Route Network, re-allocation and relocation of Korope/mini buses to inner route, and re-registration, and recertification of all buses.
Others are the introduction of an e-ticketing system, provision of transport infrastructure (Layby, terminal, among others), regulation and standardization of bus operations, and improved transportation services, that is, safety and passenger comfort and promote the security of lives and properties along the Lekki-Epe corridor.
Stating that the implementation of the restructuring plan would be in phases, Giwa urged transport operators who want to key into the restructuring programme to register with the transport ministry within two weeks.
He added that the registered operators will be allotted routes to ensure strict compliance with the strategy.
Giwa, however, warned that operators who contravene the regulations will be fined, and will be made to forfeit their vehicles if they ignore the notice of their fines, as the state government would not tolerate wilful disregard of its existing Transport Sector Reform Law.
