The Nation Newspaper

Category: Transportation

  • Transportation masterplan takes off in Ogun

    Transportation masterplan takes off in Ogun

    Last week, the Ogun State Government unveiled two events – a mass transit system and a transportation masterplan for the gateway state, writes ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE.

    Experts have not ceased to laud the Ogun State Government’s transportation masterplan at the unveiling of the mass transit bus system.

    At the launch of the buses last Thursday, at the arcade ground of the Governor’s Office, Abeokuta, Governor Dapo Abiodun said the buses were fitted with Wifi, which passengers could use on the go.

    Like its sister city, Lagos, Abiodun is happy that he is bringing innovation in intra and inter city transportation.

    With a 16,762.0 square metres land area and 5.217 million population (2016 population figures), Ogun is Nigeria’s industrial capital, the same way Lagos is the commercial capital.

    However, despite being Lagos’ closest neighbour, the state has remained mostly rudimentary in transportation planning as successive administrations paid little attention to transportation as a catalyst to development.

    The event was attended by former President Olusegun Obasanjo; Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi; former Ogun State Governor Aremo Olusegun Osoba; and Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo among others.

    Abiodun said his government was seeding N20 billion in the transportation system. He said the transport masterplan was to provide efficient, affordable and comfortable means of moving people from one place to another.

    He also assured that the botched Olokola Deep Sea project would be reactivated. According to him, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would soon be signed between the state and a private firm for the construction of the port.

    “It is important to know that the whole essence of the transportation master plan is for us to efficiently move people either intra-state or inter-state. We are the industrial capital of this country and neighbour to Lagos State, Nigeria’s biggest economy and fourth biggest economy on the African continent.

    “We see the cross border migration every day and the trouble our people go through.

    “Our transportation master plan has proffered suggestions and solutions for us to deal with this. Today, we are launching these mass transit buses.”

    According to the Abiodun, the pilot phase would begin from the state capital, Abeokuta, and extend to other parts of the state.

    A major part of the masterplan, Abiodun said, is developing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes, similar to what obtained in Lagos. he added that the transport sector may be one of the biggest beneficiary of the Lagos-Ogun Joint Development Commission (LOJDC).

    The masterplan, according to him, would cover land transport (rail, bus transit), waterways, with water taxis and modern ferries, and air component.

    Abiodun said the pilot scheme  would move people from Abeokuta through Mowe, Kara, to Marina and from Ifo and Ado Odo -Ota axis to Lagos and vice versa.

    “Very soon, we will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding with a firm for the construction of the long awaited Olokola Port. The port will soon be a reality. We are also committed to having water transportation by having water taxis’, Abiodun stated.

    “This is why we have come up with a multi-modal Transportation Master Plan that we launched today. This transport policy takes into consideration the short, medium and long term approaches to the development of our transport sector. This will include road, rail, water and air transportation plans for the State,” he said.

    He said the multimodal transportation masterplan stemmed from the Urban Transport Policy and Strategic Transport Intervention Plan.

    Amaechi commended the state government for running a purposeful government, saying all the legacy projects carried out by the governor would continue to speak for him after leaving office.

    He reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to improving the transportation system across the country.

    Amaechi said the construction of the Lagos-Calabar rail line, that would pass through Lekki Deep Seaport down to Epe township, would soon commence.

    Osoba, who spoke on behalf of Obasanjo, noted that Abeokuta had been a commercial centre, adding that with the launch of the mass transit buses, the administration had succeeded in restoring the past glory of the state in transportation.

    Osoba said he would continue to support the Abiodun-led administration to meet the needs of the people.

    Oba Gbadebo commended the state government for providing a modern transportation.

  • Berthing new taxis to improve public transport experience

    Berthing new taxis to improve public transport experience

    With the new Lagos Ride, Lagosians desirous of riding in new, affordable, and comfortable taxis now have a better deal, writes ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE

    Bimbola Williams (pseudonym) was weary when his eyes caught the news highlights of the launch of a new taxi scheme by the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, recently. A huge smile lit up his face, and unconsciously, he threw a punch into the air, to salute yet another initiative to bring relief to Lagosians.

    Just that evening, he and some friends at a beer joint where they usually hung out to “kill time” after work, had had a heated argument on how traffic chokes within the metropolis are “killing family bonding.” They argued that besides affecting productivity at work, many homes going through severe strains could heal better had there been more time to bond.

    Though experts could argue that Lagos, despite its suffocating traffic gridlock, was yet to join the list of cities around the world with the worse traffic patterns, the Sanwo-Olu-led administration, like the ones before it, took it upon itself to innovate solutions to improve transport experience.

    The ride-hailing initiative launched by the government last week is aimed at optimising safety and comfort of riders. With the unveiling of 1,000 GAC taxis, the administration has added to the growing vehicle count in the state, put at about seven million (private and public vehicles).

    However, the scheme, codenamed Lagos Ride, which would be operated on lease-to-own, is a component of the state’s multimodal transportation blueprint being executed under the Traffic Management and Transportation, the first pillar of the THEMES agenda of the administration. It also aims to encourage more individualised car riders to drop their cars in favour of public transport.

    Unique features

    The initiative is a deal between the Lagos State-owned IBILE Holding Limited and CIG Motors Company Limited to provide clean and reliable taxi across the metropolis at affordable cost, using brand-new vehicles.

    Operators are required to provide a N1.9 million down payment. The sum covers the 20 per cent equity of cost of vehicle, registration and insurance. Each car comes with a tracker and enhanced security technology that enables the control centre to monitor every journey undertaken.

    The governor said the new scheme was not to run hailing ride operators out of town, but to offer safer alternative and clear the roads of rickety cars being used as taxi, especially by kabu-kabu operators. With the scheme, operators, he said, could become owners of the vehicles within four years.

    He said: “The need to provide better, dignifying and more rewarding means of livelihood for operators as well as create employment opportunity for the unemployed and underemployed gave birth to the “new Taxi Scheme”. Under the arrangement, a beneficiary will be provided a subsidised brand-new car, which will become the driver’s property after completion of the cost of payment.

    “This taxi scheme will complement the various bus services, which are making significant impact in the lives of our people; the water transport service, which is recording unprecedented patronage, as well as the Blue and Red Line Rail services, which are on course to commence commercial operations between the last quarter of this year and the first quarter of 2023.”

    To improve riders’and passengers’ security, Sanwo-Olu said a full security gadget, including a 360 dashboard camera that will give 24-hour audio-visual feeds to the control centre, had been installed in each of the cars deployed in the scheme.

    He added that each car came with a physical panic button that could be used by anyone on board in case of assault or emergency. The panic button, the governor said, is also on the mobile application and is connected to the control and command centre.

    Old features

    It wasn’t the first time Lagos would come up with an initiative aimed at improving the taxi culture in the state. Between 2007 and 2015, the administration of then Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola introduced a Mile-to-MileTaxi system code-named Mega Taxis, aimed at refleeting the rickety vehicles used by ‘aging operators’, even as it sought to get taxi operators registered to protect the sub-sector from illegal operators.

    Not only did the government introduce new fleet of taxis, it licensed new (modern) accredited operators to complement the old (Yellow) taxi cab operators and introduced in March 2015, a universal licence, under which it made licences bankable for holders of the instrument.

    Performing the ceremony at the LTV Blue Roof, Ikeja, the then Commissioner for Transportation, Kayode Opeifa, said the licence which the government was giving out at N14,000 would transform taxi business into a wealth-creating venture, as many companies were willing to participate by providing fleets of new cars to operators.

    Opeifa,a transport consultant, envisaged that the licences would be ‘tradable’ because of the government’s backing, adding that they could also be used as collateral for bank loans.

    Opeifa declared that metering would begin on taxis by 2016, adding that the taxi and cab industry was worth N25 billion and could be pushed to N50 billion by last year.

    He wondered why operators remained poor, and their services, despite the growing population, on a slide. He added that the government’s initiative was aimed at changing the narrative.

    Opeifa admitted that though the initiative could not fly throughout the Fashola era, the taxi and cab industry’s lot had not fared better until this initiative by the Sanwo-Olu-led administration.

    He said if the government carried out a survey, it would realise that despite unfavourable macro-economic indices, the taxi and cab industry still had huge  potential as a result of growing demand.

    He lauded the government for coming up with the initiative, which if faithfully implemented, would improve traffic experience of Lagosians who could afford more comfortable ride round the metropolis.

    “The lease-to-own is a better initiative and a reflection of the current dictates of the economy. It would work if dutifully implemented,” Opeifa, who recently bagged a Ph.D in Transport Management and Logistics from the Lagos State University, said.

    New Assembly Plant

    A novel component of the present initiative is the presence of a local assembly plant in the state, which Sanwo-Olu said would be 100 percent completed by September. The plant, a partnership between IBILE and the CIG Motors, when completed would further open new vista for employment for qualified but unemployed Lagosians, he said.

    He said: “What we are witnessing today is that, Lagos is moving away from the era of rickety kabu kabu to brand-new, comfortable and safe transport system. The multiplier effect of this singular initiative on job creation, youth employment and economic growth and development in the State cannot be overstated.”

    Commissioners for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladehinde, described the scheme as “another milestone” by the government, noting that the initiative had joined an array of innovative solutions initiated in the transport sector, which are targeted at redefining conversations around public transportation.

    To make the rides affordable, the Commissioner said the technology on which the scheme is operated had made ride-sharing possible for passengers, who would agree to share ride and share transit costs.

    Chairman of CIG Motors in Nigeria, Mrs. Diana Chang, said the roadmap for the urbanisation of the transportation system in Lagos started in November 2019 when the Governor and members of his cabinet visited the Republic of China for bilateral partnership. The launch, she said, is the glorious end of the partnership sealed with Chinese investors.

    “We are using this partnership to promote a Greater Lagos where opportunities abound for citizens of the State, while creating a win-win model for all stakeholders,” she said.

    Managing Director of IBILE Holding, Mr. Abiodun Amokomowo, said over 5,700 drivers had downloaded the driver’s mobile apps as at last Tuesday, out of which 1,786 drivers submitted applications.

    Registration and enrolment fee has been accepted from 359 drivers, while others were awaiting screening, Amokomowo said.

    He said: “As part of the process each operator will go through for the safety and security of life and effective operations of the scheme, we will conduct full verification of applicants’ Lagos State Drivers’ Institute (LASDRI) ID cards, medical history, background check and verification of NIN and Lagos resident registration numbers.”

    The launch of the taxi scheme was received with a warm embrace by ride hailing drivers, who described the initiative as “unique, better alternative”.

    Sam Mfuk, who is the first successful driver to get onboard of the scheme, said: “When we first heard about LAGOS RIDE, we were skeptical. But, when we attended the stakeholders’ meetings, we changed our minds. LAGOS RIDE has become the answer to our prayers in ride hailing sector. The details and features they shared with us were clearly thought out and our input was well included in the final model.”

  • CVI: Our woes, by motorists

    CVI: Our woes, by motorists

    Sixty-six days after the Computerised Vehicle Inspection (CVI) kicked off in Lagos, many motorists’ experiences at the centres had been terrible, writes ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE

    For many motorists in Lagos, taking their vehicles for the mandatory computerised testing is akin to the Biblical parable of the camel going through the eye of a needle.

    Since January 1, this year, when the government began the enforcement of the “no testing no road worthiness permit” regime, motorists who had wanted to be on the right side of the law, irrespective of their age and status, have had their worries multiplied.

    Madam Veronica, 75, at one of the test centres last week, lamented that she was tired of coming to the place to get her Lexus SUV vehicle checked.

    She said she had been coming to the centre since Tuesday and that her latest time of arrival had been 7.30am, but at 2pm, on Wednesday, she was yet to be attended to.

    From its pilot Ojodu Berger Centre, to Bolade, at Oshodi, Ibeju-Lekki, Olowu, Yaba, Ojota, Ayobo, Oko-Oba, Gbagada, or Mile 2, where the state government had built computerised centres, it has been tales of woes for motorists since the government began the enforcement.

    Before now, motorists enjoyed the latitude of procuring the road worthiness permit through the “backdoor”.

    The Chief Executive of a marketing firm, Adeyinka Adebayo, said it was no brainer that the government is insisting on getting vehicles checked. For him, giving the impression that Nigerians love to put unchecked vehicles on the road was embarrassing.

    But for a state which has about 50 per cent of the nation’s total vehicular density, and about four million private vehicles and three million commercial vehicles, getting vehicles tested under the ongoing policy regime for most remains herculean.

    For instance, at most centres visited in the past two weeks, it was observed they suffer capacity shortfall, which makes the surge at most centres look overwhelming.

    To have their vehicles checked, many made the centres their homes, while those who cannot ensure they arrive the centres latest 5am or lose the chance to have their vehicles tested for that day.Though the operator had introduced call in options for booking, the throng of crowd at many of the centres remained intimidating.

    At the Ayobo Centre, the list had grown to 15 as at 5am and by noon, no fewer than 87 people had enlisted on the list provided by the centre officials to have their vehicles checked last Thursday.

    One such person, who simply identified himself as Adewale, said he arrived the centre about 5am. For him, the nightmare people go through trying to have their vehicles checked is enough to demotivate them.

    Victor Aimeden, who said he had been on queue for about four days, said his vehicle failed alignment and suspension test and had  returned for recertification.

    For him, the government should rework the policy before it is breached, “not because they wanted to, but because the path to getting this done has remained laborious”.

    Bosun Johnson, another motorist whose vehicle was certified fit, said he had spent about N100,000 on his vehicle to put it in good shape before presenting it for test.

    “I avoided putting the vehicle on the road after spending such a huge amount and went out pretty early to have it checked. Even when I decided to come early and got here at 4.30am, I was still number eight on the list. That means some people had either come earlier, perhaps by 3am or 4am, or paid to get registered,” he said.

    Another motorist who claimed to be a lecturer in one of the private polytechnics in the state lamented the suffering. He urged the government to rework the policy to reduce the pains members of the public go through to comply with its laws.

    But the Managing Director of Temple Group, a  CVIS, Prince Segun Obayendo, pleaded for patience, adding that efforts were on to establish more centres. He said they would soon introduce weekend testing as well as phone in operations to further reduce the pressure.

    Obayendo listed things to test to include electrical fitting – lightings (headlamps, rear lights, brake lights, directional/pointer lights, etc), braking systems, absorbers, axle, tyres, emission testing, among others.

    He said LACVIS intends to establish 57 centres, one in each of the 20 local governments and 37 council development areas.

    Like Obayendo, the Director, Vehicle Inspection Service, George Fashola said the new policy is part of the transport sector reforms of the government aimed at sanitising road transportation. He said the government would continue to enforce the policy because it is in the interest of motorists and road users in ensuring that vehicles found on the roads are in good state.

    He said anyone with expired particulars would be asked to bring their vehicles to test centres to ensure that such is certified fit before they could be put on the road, as those caught doing otherwise may be arrested.

    He said the government has installed the state Automated Number Plate Recognition cameras and any vehicle caught by the app would be flagged and might be blacklisted from the central server until the needful was done.

    He said the VIS would not be pursuing any motorists on the road for road worthiness permits or any other infractions as top notch technologies have been deployed by the government to enhance smarter work by the VIS.

    He, therefore, urged motorists to comply with the policy in their interest or do away with their vehicles with expired particulars until such is tested and certified fit for the roads.

    Fashola said the policy is in the best interest of the people of the state and a demonstration of government’s commitment to protecting the lives of all residents in line with the THEMES Agenda of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration as all classes of vehicles including commercial vehicles, trucks or articulated vehicles are to be tested safe and road worthy before being presented with road worthiness certificate in the state.

     

  • Public transportation gaining new traction in Kano, Borno

    Public transportation gaining new traction in Kano, Borno

    ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE writes that Kano and Borno states have keyed into providing quality alternative means of transportation to commuters.

    In what stakeholders in the transportation sector saw as a game changer, Kano State(Northwest) Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, and his Borno State (Northeast) colleague, Prof. Babagana Zulum,  have unveiled buses, taxis and tricycles, meant to change the narratives of intracity commuting in their states.

    The steps, according to keen watchers and analysts, are in furtherance of the conversations around the transportation sector for the 36 sub-national governments and Abuja, on the need of the various governments to make provision for more comfortable means of transportation for their peoples.

    Though land transportation, achieved via various forms of vehicles (two, three of four-wheelers and more), have been the closest and the next best thing, since the evolution of technology, coming after the era of walking, which was the oldest means of movement known to man, it has remained the most stratified with the masses left to their whims and denied any semblance of comfort while prosecuting their journeys to and fro.

    Many times, the federal and the state governments have reduced road transportation to the very basics – the provision of passably ‘good’ roads – an issue, which more often than not, have become a mirage for many across the country, and ensuring the provision of neat, secured, comfortable and affordable vehicles to prosecute the journeys are left almost completely to the whims of private operators, who with their often run-down-vehicles make a kill of harpless commuters in inordinate fares.

    The move, last week by the Kano and Borno state governments, to join the league of states seizing the public transportation space from shylock operators, was, therefore, seen by transport planning experts, as defining development for the people of the two states.

    While the Kano government announced the procurement of 100 buses to boost intracity transportation initiative, the Borno State government bought 610 taxis, buses and tricycles solely for intracity mass transit operations.

    The Kano State Commissioner for Housing and Transportation, Alhaji Mahmoud Muhammed-Santsi, told reporters on Friday that the new buses which would concentrate on the state capital, are part of what the Ganduje administration would use to launch a new transportation scheme aimed at boosting Kano mass transit.

    With a population close to 10 million, Kano, reputed as a centre of commerce, is fast becoming, like Lagos, another mega city. To avoid becoming a host to horrific traffic congestion, there is need for major transport planning that identify inter-modal alternatives that works with the state’s peculiarities outside the singe mode of road transport that for now is failing to address the need for mass transportation.

    Muhammed-Sansti said most of the buses had  arrived in the state and the transport department in the ministry, in collaboration with the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO), is taking them through Computerised Vehicle Inspection, to ascertain whether they are fit for the roads.

    Unveiling his initiative, Zulum said the idea is to enhance urban mass transportation in Maiduguri metropolis.

    Zulum, who governs the most cosmopolitan state in the Northeast, despite the vagaries of the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists who have pumelled the state for over a decade, has a huge urban population to deal with.

    The metropolis of Maiduguri alone covers three local government areas of Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, Jere and Konduga local government areas.

    Inaugurating the 610 vehicles, made up of 100 Toyota LE cars for city taxis, 500 tricycles, popularly known as ‘Keke NAPEP’ and 10 Ashok Leyland maxi buses, each with capacity for 41 passengers and 10 buses are to be used by the Borno Express Transport Corporation (BETC), for intracity services.

    Zulum said the tricycles would be shared among the 2000 operators running commercial tricycles, with each tricycle owned by a group of four unemployed persons.

    The 100 taxis, on the other hand, would be allocated among 200 persons with each taxi to be owned by two operators, making a total of 2,200, the number of persons who benefited from the tricycles and taxis.

    The state Commissioner for Transport, Dr. Abubakar Tijjani, assured of the governor’s commitment to efficient supervision to increasing access to intra city transit. Aside the 2,200 persons allocated the tricycles and taxis, Zulum also granted N50million to 1000 members of various Keke NAPEP operators who did not benefit from the launch given that the associations have thousands of members, some of whom either own tricycles or work as riders and spare-rider. The 1,000 persons was to each receive N50,000 as social support.

    What the two states have done, according to Biodun Otunola, is to reposition mass transit as the heart of intracity commuting by the various state governments and the FCT.

    Otunola, who is the Managing Director of Planet Projects said the road is where government that is looking to diversify its local economy should intensify, because of its capacity to trigger a huge local economy for which the states’ IGR would be a huge beneficiary.

    According to him, while the rush to developing airports -whether passenger or cargo variants are good, yet, the road which connects more population of commuters should be the focus for those who want to make immediate impact in the lives of their citizens.

    Otunola, whose firm was behind the three terminals Oshodi Transport Interchange(OTI) among many other initiatives said transportation for the discerning government is the next low hanging fruit that readily connect the huge commuting population in many urban centres and its capacity to generate both primary and secondary levels of job is unimaginable.

    Like Otunola, Patrick Adenusi believed the roads are the new economy of many states of the federation.

    Adenusi, founder of Safety Without Borders, said if government provides safe, neat and affordable means of transportation for their people, it would bring down the cost of living and impact directly the local economy with improved IGR, which government could redirect to other gaping sectors.

  • Mecho autotech raises $2.15m for vehicle maintenance, repair services

    Mecho autotech raises $2.15m for vehicle maintenance, repair services

    A Nigerian vehicle repair and maintenance startup, Mecho Autotech, has announced the completion of a $2.15 million seed investment.

    Future Africa, Hoaq Capital, Cathexis Ventures, V8 Capital, Silver Squid and Tekedia Capital participated in the round.

    The round was oversubscribed by over 300% and is the largest investment to date for a vehicle maintenance startup in sub-Saharan Africa.

    Mecho Autotech will use the capital to expand its multi-channel service capacity, engineering team, and marketing budget for B2C acquisition.

    The Company operates a digital platform that connects B2B and B2C customers with in-house and third-party mechanics.

    Mecho’s in-house capacity consists of workshops, known as Mecho Shops and Mecho Mobile operations.

    To date, the Company has onboarded over 7,000 third-party mechanics to the platform with workshop and mobile operations.

    To address the large and difficult task of servicing corporate fleets, Mecho has built three Mecho Shops across Lagos and will continue to expand this capacity.

    Since its launch in April 2021, the Company’s B2B customers include some of Nigeria’s largest corporate fleets including Uber partner Moove, Tolaram Group, and UAC Group with several other notable SLAs in progress.

    In addition to the growing B2B revenue base, Mecho has expanded into service for B2C customers with the launch of its B2C app in January.

    The company aims to grow in B2C via a subscription service model and individual service requests with a target of 25,000 customers this year.

    Moreover, Mecho is developing a spare parts value chain that has already served over 100 third-party mechanics and several large ticket inventory purchases for B2B customers.

    READ ALSO:

    Nigeria has over 12 million registered vehicles, and owners spend an average of $650 per year on maintenance and repairs.

    Approximately 90 per cent of Nigeria’s car market consists of used vehicles with only 5 percent of car sales financed.

    Despite the sheer number of used cars on Nigeria’s roads which require check-ups to prevent breakdowns, regular vehicle maintenance is uncommon.

    Existing service providers, the majority of whom are not formally trained and lack sufficient tools and equipment, are often inefficient and provide inconsistent service quality.

    Founder/CEO of Mecho Autotech, Olusegun Owoade, said: “When you consider the state of Nigeria’s used cars and our roads, car maintenance isn’t optional. We want to automate high-quality vehicle repair and maintenance for Nigerians by making it easy, convenient, and affordable. We aspire to build a maintenance culture in Nigeria and beyond to keep roads and people safe.

    Future Africa, Founder and General Partner, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, said: “At Future Africa, our thesis is to back founders solving hard problems in large markets. With over 12 million cars on our roads and more on the way, leveraging technology to bring order to vehicle maintenance and repair is overdue.

    “We are delighted to work with the Mecho Autotech team as they brilliantly execute on building out the vehicle repair value chain across Africa and create new and decent highly skilled auto repair jobs.”

  • Vehicle testing: Achieving safer roads

    Vehicle testing: Achieving safer roads

    ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE writes on how things have fared one month after the beginning of full compliance with the ‘no testing, no road worthiness’ certification in Lagos.

    Dare Matthew (pseudonym), a senior Marketing Executive, who lives within the precinct of Ikeja, the state capital, loves to be on the right side of the law.

    Even before his vehicle particulars expired a fortnight ago, he was at the Ojodu Berger, office of the Lagos State Vehicle Inspection Service (LACVIS) to have his vehicle checked, in obedience of the new policy of the state government code-named “Operation no test, no road worthiness permit” for vehicles plying the state roads from January 1, 2022.

    His vehicle particulars, including the road worthiness, expired on January 15.

    Last month, the Lagos State Government came up with a new policy to have vehicles tested before their road worthiness certificate would be issued.

    The government said about 27 computerised testing centres, scattered round the state, are already in place to ensure that motorists irrespective of their places of residence can have their vehicles tested and certified fit for the roads.

    Unveiling the new policy at a stakeholders’ meeting in December, last year, the State’s Commissioner for Transportation Dr Frederic Oladeinde said the new policy is to ensure that the roads are safer and reduce the carnage resulting from faulty vehicles that populated the roads.

    Last week, he released more damning verdict, which underscored the need to continue the testing to avoid making the state a killing field by reckless uncaring operators with faulty vehicles on the roads.

    In the report, which captured data for the only month of its operation, no fewer than 10,444 vehicles, according to Oladeinde, failed the minimum safety standard tests, adding that a significant number of these failed vehicles had reported for a retest.

    According to the Commissioner, this is out of about 26,442 that were inspected in the month, of which 15,998 vehicles passed.

    He said the government has extended the window of retest from 30 to 60 days, to reduce the panicky feedback which was clogging the various testing centres across the state.

    Also, the Director of the state Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS), Akin-George Fashola, said the new policy is to address the issue of ensuring that vehicles are actually tested and certified fit for the roads before they are issued the road worthiness permit (certificate).

    He said the practice hitherto, where vehicle owners circumvent the system by acquiring the certificate by presenting the old one for renewal at VIO/licencing offices no longer obtains because it exposes the government to vicarious liability in the event that such vehicles eventually causes grievous damage to lives and property in an accident.

    Fashola, who lauded the government for extending the time frame for retesting to reduce the panic, said 27 centres are providing same baseline services to motorists, which makes patronising just one centre as the last month test case has shown avoidable.

    He said while the Ojodu pilot centre recorded more patronage in the month under review, the same cannot be said of other centres, some of which did not record as much. He said the reason why the government had the centres scattered round the state is to create easy access to all motorists, adding that the plan is to have 57 centres, with at least one centre in each of the 20 local governments and 37 development centres of the state.

    Fashola said the policy is not targeted at generating revenue and the agency will not be pursuing motorists or forcing compliance. He appealed to motorists to embrace voluntary compliance of the policy as the agency would not shirk its responsibility to collect fines from defaulters of the state’s traffic law.

    The Managing Director of Temple Group, the operators of the Lagos Computerised Vehicle Testing Centre (LACVIS), Segun Obayendo, said the centres are out to ensure that motorists know the status of their vehicles thereby erasing guess works that compounds the faults.

    He said motorists are free to take their vehicles to their mechanics for repairs as LACVIS do not operate repair workshops.

    Though the centres presently operate on weekdays, his men are geared to commence weekend services.

    Obayendo explained that LACVIS is working round the clock to reduce backlogs of motorists’ on queue to be attended, even as he said people can book online for vehicle testing at any of the various centres around them. Also available, he said, are personalised services for fleet operators for their testing vehicles.

    Obayendo said the task of keeping the roads safe is a collective responsibility and it begins from knowing the healthy status of the vehicle before putting it on the road. The beauty of computerised testing, according to him, is that it erases guesswork as it limits to the barest interaction with the vehicle. The following are tested free: electrical fitting – lightings (headlamps, rear lights, brake lights, directional/pointer lights, etc), braking systems, absorbers, axle, tyres, emission – except the road worthiness permit, which is paid for at any approved centre.

    Fashola asserted that the computerised testing is encompassing, and is conducted on  classes of vehicles. He listed the vehicles for which tests are carried out to include commercial buses/cars, private cars, trucks, articulated trucks and trailers, petrol tankers; indeed four-wheel drives.

    LACVIS Ambassador, Mr Adeyinka Adebayo, said it is no brainer that vehicles must be checked periodically to reduce their accident-prone rate.

    Adebayo, who along with other ambassadors are at the forefront of campaigns for voluntary compliance to the policy, said it is “unthinkable that motorists and vehicle owners could willfully circumvent the rule by avoiding vehicle checks saying this is the bane to having safer roads in the country’’.

    Though the citizens are demanding better road quality from the government, such could provide any escape from the owners’ responsibility to ensure they keep their vehicles in top shape.

  • GIGL integrates crypto wallet into propriety delivery app GIGGO

    GIGL integrates crypto wallet into propriety delivery app GIGGO

    GIG Logistics, the leading provider of last-mile delivery solutions in West Africa, has launched a version of its propriety delivery app “GIGGo’ with a crypto wallet.

    The crypto wallet will be released in beta phases to 2000 users and progress to 8000-10000 users within two weeks before finally being released to all.

    The beta version of the wallet will give room for adequate feedback on functionalities and user experience.

    On the crypto wallet, users would be enabled to perform key digital transactions like buy, store, send, withdraw and earn from digital assets.

    Users will also be eligible for rewards in cryptocurrency as well as have the ability to pay for global transactions unrestricted.

    To do this, GIGL has partnered with XPAD, a crypto platform that will power custodial services backend.

    XPAD is built on the most secure ledger globally, which will guarantee asset security.

    Users will get an update notification, introducing the crypto wallet functionality and get a prompt to sign up.

    If the user already has an account with the XPAD platform, they will be required to import their XPAD wallet by inputting wallet credentials.

    This action will enable current XPAD users to perform crypto transactions from the GIGGo app.

    Some of the assets available for purchase are UDST, BITCOIN and CFX, and beta users will be allowed to make any asset purchase worth the equivalent of a maximum of N500,000 daily.

    GIGL’s Director of Operations Ocholi Etu said: “We are advocates for borderless transactions, progress and economic freedom. As a global delivery partner to all our users worldwide, we want to offer the ability to do much more than deliveries by providing digital services that promote efficiency, ease and wealth.

    “Our customers be they individuals, e-commerce merchants or corporate partners, can now buy and hold digital assets on GIGGo through the integration with XPAD.”

    Connecting GIGL users to cryptocurrency banking is a huge responsibility, and we have put the necessary infrastructure in place to ensure seamless and safe crypto transactions, he continued.

    This initiative would significantly increase the number of crypto wallet owners and ultimately translate to more numbers for the crypto economy.

    Besides providing a crypto wallet, this integration lowers the barriers to entry and offers accessible alternatives to crypto adoption.

  • Issues in Lagos railway project

    Issues in Lagos railway project

    Beyond the excitement generated by the purchase of a rolling stock for the Red Line light rail, experts point at some gaps that needed to be addressed by the Lagos State government, writes ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE

    Since the news of its latest acquisition broke last Thursday, Lagos State has been excited at the imminent take-off of the metroline trains 39 years after the late former Governor Lateef Jakande’s dream was aborted.

    Though the dream was revived by the Asiwaju Bola Tinubu administration by the turn of the Fourth Republic, nothing could ever indicate that it would take another 20 years before Lagosians could begin to reap the benefit of the dream.

    However, that the government stayed the course and underscored its resilience in changing the narrative of public transportation and giving to Africa’s first megacity a befitting intermodal system that exploits the huge potential of the state’s vast waterways, as well as the road and rail.

    According to experts, with a daily commuting population of about 20 million, Lagos is, undoubtedly, sitting on a goldmine, if public sector transportation is fully exploited. This may be the reason the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration made the delivery of the Blue and the Red Light rail project cardinal.

    Sanwo-Olu, inspecting the projects earlier in the year, had assured Lagosians that his government would sign-off on the two projects by the last quarter of the year. The people who were eagerly waiting to see only the Blue line activated after 20 years will have the two, which were the flagship and benchmark for the remaining lines.

    What further bolstered Sanwo-Olu’s confidence to include the Red Line component into the rail deliverables, was the completion of the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge project by the Federal Government. The 37km Red Line which runs on the same corridor, is projected to have 10 train stations, with the first phase which terminates at Oyingbo, (a major transport hub), scheduled to be delivered by year end, while the second phase, which picks off from Oyingbo to Marina, is slated for completion later.

    To underscore the government’s readiness to commence commercial operation, it purchased from Talgo, a Spanish train manufacturer, two series eight trains built for Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States.

    Designed as a high speed train to connect Madison and Milwaukee, the train, which had never been used, would become West Africa’s first metro train.

    Sealing the contract last Wednesday, Sanwo-Olu said the train would carry at least 500 passengers in the first six months and scale up to about one million thereafter. He said the rail component was a major part of the Lagos Transportation Masterplan under the Lagos Urban Rail Project (LURP), other components of the plan are the waterways and roads. The idea is to provide public transportation alternatives to the over 20 million commuting populace.

     

    Like Blue, like Red Line

    However, though it is said to be light train lines, what the government has been investing on are Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) trains. In 2011, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) had sold two 255 H5 metro rail cars to the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) for its Blue line. This, however, was later dropped as LAMATA opted for new trains and in 2015. Former Governor Babatunde Fashola ordered 15 stainless-steel-bodied 100kmph 750V DC third rail sets from Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock for the Blue Line.

     

    Lingering Challenges

    Sanwo-Olu envisaged that the deal would signal a beneficial relationship between  Milwaukee, Talgo and Lagos. He said: “We hope the purchase of the trains would be the beginning of a mutually beneficial business relationship.” He hoped the trains would build the state’s economy, provide jobs, and offer transportation alternatives to the people. The question experts and industry stakeholders are asking is: How does the state intend to ramp up on the opportunities in the Talgo trading? Many doubted that there is nothing much on the table to justify Sanwo-Olu’s confidence.

    They said beyond serving the need to tell the world that Lagos has acquired the Talgo trains; the Milwaukee ceremony left many questions unanswered.

    Former Dean of School of Transportation, Lagos State University Prof. Samuel Odewunmi said Lagosians needed to know more about the technical details of the new trains, as the little that had been released was worrisome to those who are knowledgeable of the train system.

    “Since we are talking of light trains, we need to know whether these are electric or diesel engines like the ones purchased in 2015? Again, more pertinent is how would trains manufactured for long trips, from Madison and Milwaukee, a distance of 79 miles/127km, with a 350 kph speed, successfully run metro shuttles, which has about 10 station stops, which amounts to about 3.5 kms per stoppage at each train station, without wearing out the engines?”

    Read Also: Consolidating Buhari’s gains in the railway sector

    Odewunmi added: “My fear is not that the train has been lying unused for about 12 years after manufacturing. My greatest fear is how an engine that is manufactured for a long distance trip can be economical for short trips for which we want to put the trains being metro shuttles?”

    Despite his reservations, however, he said the Sanwo-Olu government must be commended for daring to sign off on the two legacy projects that have defied his predecessors. He challenged the government to tell Lagosians how much the trains cost and the bargaining advantages the purchase holds, beyond sharing the same colour code with the city of Milwaukee.

    The university don said the government also needs to tell Lagosians the technology transfer and employment generation component of its train masterplan, since the Milwaukee ceremony merely gave a one-off train purchase. “Are we asking Talgo to come over and start an assembly plant that could service Nigeria and the African market?”

    But beyond all these, Odewunmi said just as prime attention was given to the western flank, Lagos should give critical and urgent attention to the Eastern flank and commence work too on the Green Line (the Marina to Lekki) in view of the massive industrial developments taking off on the axis.

    According to him, the imminent take-off of the Lekki Deep Sea Port and the Dangote Refineries and Fertiliser Manufacturing plant, presupposes that traffic patterns would be hugely impacted on the corridor in the next few years. As the government is looking at signing off on the Blue and Red lines, the Green line recommends itself as an urgent project.

    LAMATA had colour-coded the seven corridors into which it charted Lagos LUTP, comprising the Blue Line (Mile 2 to Marina); Red Line (Agbado to Marina); Purple Line (The Redeemed Camp to Ojo); Yellow Line (Otta to Iddo); Brown Line (Mile 12 to Marina); Orange Line (The Redeemed Camp to Marina) and Green Line (Marina to Lekki) and a monorail system from (Marina-Victoria Island -Lekki).

    The Commissioner for Transportation Dr Frederic Oladeinde said the government is committed to delivering on the two lines and work is going as scheduled.

    “We are doing everything possible to finish the projects as soon as possible and relieve the people of the burdens they have had to cope with since these projects began. We continue to ensure we move traffic seamlessly, even as we plead for more understanding from our people.”

     

    Conclusion

    A former President of the Nigerian Institute of Structural Engineers (NISE) Victor Oyenuga, agreed the state deserves a mass train transit system. Oyenuga in a recent report in Daily Trust, explained that Lagos is the only city without a mass transit system, adding that the train system would go a long way in changing the traffic and travel pattern in the state.

    Describing it as long overdue, Oyenuga said; “any city without a rail system is not a city.”

    Olasunkanmi Dagunduro, a business executive, believed Lagos with its population is ripe for a network of train systems. He urged the government to put the other lines out for bids by the interested private sector.

    He and other residents are already looking forward to that future when people from Okokomaiko, Mile 2 axis would hop on the train and get to Marina in 15 minutes, same with commuters from Agbado, moving to Oyingbo, getting to their various destinations earlier than those who opted for the road mode. He looked forward to a system that takes 500 or more people in each direction at once and what that does to traffic on the road mode.

    That future may not be farther than some eight or 10 months away.

  • Lagos Traffic Radio, LASTMA engage on improved service delivery

    Lagos Traffic Radio, LASTMA engage on improved service delivery

    All is set for the maiden edition of an engagement between Lagos Traffic Radio and Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) where the process leading to the provision of traffic information, especially on roads, among others, will be reviewed for improved service delivery.

    The event, which comes up today, according to a statement on Sunday by the General Managers, Lagos Traffic Radio and LASTMA, Tayo Akanle and Bolaji Oreagba, would be a forum to create stronger synergy between the two agencies in advancing traffic management, coordination, and reportage.

    The statement further said the conversation will centre on improving service delivery that is geared towards achieving Greater Lagos vision of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration and the Traffic Management and Transportation component of T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda.

    The statement said part of the objectives of such an epoch-making event is to, ultimately, add value to motorists/commuters in Lagos as it is important to enhance their productivity through reducing travel time on the roads.

    The forum with the theme: ‘Repositioning of traffic information agencies for better performance’ will be attended by Lagos Traffic Radio On Air Personalities (OAP) and LASTMA zonal controllers and field officers, among others, at Radio Lagos/Eko FM Hall,LTV Complex Ikeja at 10:00 a.m.

    Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, will give the keynote address and declare it open while his counterpart in Transportation, Dr. Fredric Oladeinde, Special Adviser on Transportation, Toyin Fayinka and Head of Service, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, will give goodwill messages at the event.

  • Achieving critical road linkages in Ogun

    Achieving critical road linkages in Ogun

    Ogun State Government scored a strategic goal last Thursday, as it achieved for the logistics industry the critical and long sought East/West alternative road infrastructure, writes ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE

    For stakeholders in the logistics sub-sector of the economy, the visit, last week, by President Muhammadu Buhari, goes beyond mere party politics. It was more.

    The inauguration of two critical roads, and fresh presidential commitment to two others linking Ogun to the west coast, had long been sought after by stakeholders, but its delivery has confirmed that the government is on the right path in reflating the economy by providing the critical infrastructure to aid the movement of goods and services from the hinterlands into Lagos.

    The President inaugurated the Ijebu-Ode-Epe road, a strategic arterial road linking the Lekki/Epe corridor of Lagos State, to the eastern corridor of Ogun State at Ijebu-Ode.

    The road provides an alternative route to the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway for those going to Lekki and adjoining urban centres and the commercial and business districts of Lagos Island, Broad Street, Marina and the adjourning major markets in the heart of Lagos.

    Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun said: “The road would trigger a boost in socio-economic activities in the Southeast and Southsouth zones of Nigeria, as it connects to the Sagamu-Benin Expressway for easier access by motorists to Lagos, Nigeria’s largest economy.”

    The President also opened the 42km Sagamu Interchange-Abeokuta road, the main arterial road that leads to the state capital, which has been redesigned into a dual carriageway and adorned with street lights, median and other road furniture. The remodelled road, Abiodun said, has addressed the daily challenges experienced by motorists on the road as part of the government’s commitment to make commuting between the state capital and other parts of the state and, indeed, the rest of the country safe, secure and pleasant.

    Also inaugurated by the President was the Gateway City Gate, an architectural masterpiece towering a height of 27metres, welcoming visitors to the state.

    The governor explained that his projects are a product of the needs assessment conducted by his administration upon assumption of office. He said: “All these projects are informed by the needs of the people as expressed at different engagement forums. This is because our government’s agenda, which is “Building our Future Together”, is anchored on inclusiveness, equity, fairness, transparency, accountability, justice, and obedience to the rule of law.”

    He told the President that his government also has many ongoing projects aimed at transforming the state’s economy.

    The visibly happy governor thanked his guest for proving naysayers wrong and making time to visit the state. He said has further underscored Buhari’s commitment to all parts of the country.

    He said: “Of course, there are many projects awaiting completion. They include the first phase of the Ogun State International Agro/Cargo Airport at Ilishan and the Atan-LUSADA-Agbara Expressway leading to Agbara Industrial Estate, Ogun State and Nigeria’s biggest industrial hub, and a major economic nerve centre for ECOWAS and the West African sub-region.’’

    The governor could not hide his joy at hosting the President. He announced a new name, Omowale for the President. “I want to thank you specially for coming,” he added. And Buhari, basking in euphoria by the huge crowd of people that welcomed him, lauded the warmth and hospitality by the people of Ogun.

    “The traditional hospitality of the people of this state has not waned a bit. Today, I am “Omowale” and happy at this homecoming to meet my brothers and sisters whose goodwill I have always enjoyed. Thank you,’’ Buhari said at the Gateway City Gate.

    The symbolism of the city gate, he said, goes beyond the park beautification project, but underscoring the dawn of new happenings in the state.

    He hailed the governor’s delivery of insightful and trail-blazing projects even amid prevailing and challenging circumstances occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that the lofty projects he inaugurated could not have materialised without the state government’s huge investment.

    He lauded the governor’s commitment to security of lives and property, which he said made the state one of the safest and most peaceful states in the country and investors’ destination of choice.

    The President was particularly impressed by the quality and noted that the roads fit into the intermodal projections of the government, which informed the modernisation of the rail project as exemplified by the Lagos-Kano train modernisation being aggressively pursued by his administration.

    He said; ‘‘it is significant to note that the two road projects being inaugurated are federal roads. This is an example of what is possible with constructive engagement, cooperation and collaboration between the states and federal governments. These roads also fit well into our rail transportation master plan that connects Lagos, Nigeria’s economic capital to Kano, with Ogun State having more rail stations, along the Lagos-Ibadan rail corridor.’’

    Thrilled, the President assured that the Lagos-Sango-Ota-Abeokuta and the Sango-Ota-Idiroko roads would receive the Federal Government’s keen attention. He expressed the Federal Government’s readiness to consider extending tax credit as funding option for the reconstruction of the two roads, as done for the 100km Sagamu Interchange-Papalanto-Ilaro road, and consider approving the reconstruction of Sagamu-Ogijo road by NNPC Ltd under the tax credit scheme.

    Stakeholders believed if all these infrastructures are delivered, it would open up Ogun State economic and commercial potentials. The state occupies a very strategic gateway between the SouthWest and the rest of the country and the ECOWAS subregion.

    One such expert, Mr Patrick Adenusi, challenged the Ogun State

    Governor not to rest on his oars, but be totally committed to transforming the state’s economy. He said because of its proximity to Lagos State, Ogun can maximize its potential by working on all infrastructure deficits in all its blighted border communities, adding that only when this is done would people of the state take the government seriously in its determination to change the face of governance in the state.

    Adenusi who lauded the governor for bringing the President to the state, said all eyes are on the Federal and Ogun State Governments to deliver on all promises aimed at transforming critical road infrastructures that could lift the state and the nation’s economy out of the woods.