The Nation Newspaper

Category: Transportation

  • Passenger insurance scheme coming

    A passenger insurance scheme that will address the fears of commuters and other road users will soon be unveiled by the Lagos State government.

    The Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, said the scheme which will be the first in the country, would be mandatory for all vehicles including commercial operators.

    He said five insurance firms were working with the government on the scheme which according to him, would further revolutionise public transportation.

    The scheme slated to be unveiled by Governor Babatunde Fashola in a fortnight, would be accessed not only by road users, but also by rail and waterway users.

    Opeifa said: “What obtains presently across the country are vehicle insurance scheme which limits the exposure of insurance firms only to the risks involved in accidents involving vehicles, Lagos State Government is taking the offering of insurance products in the transportation sector to include passenger insurance, which would ensure an insurance cover for all passengers using any of our transportation modes, whether rail, or roads, or waterways.”

    He, however, did not say whether the scheme would affect the current cost of transportation in the state as commercial vehicle operators would key into the scheme with likely cost implication shifted to commuters.

    He said the scheme would be flagged off by the Bus Rapid Transit scheme of the government and all its affiliates and franchisees.

    The passenger insurance scheme, he said, is different from the manifest usually compiled by the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), for passengers on intercity trips, adding that when it begins, commuters using the roads would have their lives  insured against accidents and any other hazards while using any of the metropolitan roads.

    Opeifa said the insurance scheme would further give the desired boost to the waning confidence of Lagosians on public transportation policy of the government and may ultimately drive the incentive to make people drop their personal vehicles for public transportation.

    He said the scheme which has been in the works for over one year would further deepen the Lagos State Transportation Law 2012, and would ensure that lives and property are better protected on the road.

  • Why toll in Lagos boat mishap was high, by panel

    Why toll in Lagos boat mishap was high, by panel

    •Authority begins campaign to curb accidents

    The Ikorodu, Lagos boat mishap probe panel has indicted the State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA) over the high casualty figure.

    The Olajide Tairu-led panel said the authority’s slow response to the boat operator’s distress call led to the death of eight of the 20 passengers when it capsized.

    It said the boat was not overloaded, which many thought initially led to the mishap, pointing out that 20 passengers, including  the quarter master and the decker, were on board.

    Its report came amid plans by the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to flag off an an enlightenment on the use of life jackets by passengers and operators.

    The campaign begins, with a town hall meeting at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) jetty in Igbokoda, Ondo State, tomorrow. It will continue at the NIWA Ferry Terminal in CMS, Lagos, on Thursday.

    Submitting the panel’s report to the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, the panel’s chairman Mr Olajide Tairu, said the death toll of the April 2, accident could have been less if rescue operations had been spontaneous.

    Tairu said: “We affirmed through our findings as well as claims by survivors, that the boat was not over loaded as it carried only 20 passengers in addition to the quarter master and the decker.  We, however, found out that rescue operations could have been better, as much havoc was caused by the delay in responding to the distress call from the boat operator.”

    Tairu, who observed that water transportation is a major part of the public transit system being developed by the government, said the panel came up with recommendations that could prevent future accidents on the waterways.

    Receiving the report, Opeifa said government is committed to zero accidents on its waterways.

    He said life jacket is a must for all operators, noting: “You must ensure that all your passengers make use of life jackets. On our part as government we are making sure that we distribute enough life jackets to all boat operators. Life jackets will be a compulsory thing on our waterways, and we are appealing to all operators and commuters to use life jackets anytime they want to travel on water.”

    Opeifa urged  the operators to take weather reports from the Ministry of Transportation and other agencies seriously especially during the rainy season to avoid being caught unawares by the unpredictable tidal waves.

    He said while accidents are largely unpredictable, operators must cooperate with the government to ensure that they are reduced.

    Government had started the sweeping of the lagoon to clear the waterways of all floating objects that might pose danger to the lives of  boat users, whether in the day or at night.

    Appealing to commuters not to shun the waterways because of accidents, Opeifa assured the public that the government would act on the recommendations to ensure that the waterways are safer for commuters.

    The state, he said, is presently moving about two million people monthly on its waterways, adding that there are plans to move this up to five million before the end of the year.

    “We are currently moving two million people and we intend to move this up to five million by year end. This recommendations which I believed had inputs from relevant stakeholders as well as experts on the area would help boost our response capacity to making our waterways safer for all operators and commuters. We would ensure that all the interventions which are making our roads safer would be duplicated on the waterways for the benefit of our people. We are committed to a safer means of transportation and we would not rest on our oars till we achieve this,” he said.

    NIWA said the enlightenment slated for Ondo and Lagos States is similar to that held in Niger State following the boat mishaps in Malele and Nupeko.

    Its spokesman, Mr. Tayo Fadile said the campaign is part of efforts to stem the frequent boat mishaps  in these states.

    He said: “During the town hall meetings, the Marine Department of the Authority will educate waterways and boat users on the need to always wear a life jacket and how to make use of it.

    “Other safety rules and regulations will be explained to the stakeholders at the event, while hundreds of life jackets and other informative materials will be given out free to boat users by the Authority,” he further said.

    NIWA had earlier explained that the on-going awareness campaign would be carried out in all the six geo-political zones of the country.

  • Prime suspects in NRC fraud moved to Abuja

    PRIME suspects in the N1 billion pension scam at the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), arrested last week by the Nigeria Railway Police Command, have been transferred to the Federal Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Abuja.

    Their movement may have been at the instance of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).

    Among those flown to Abuja were  Mr. Celestine Chukwu, Mr. Euna Igbe, Mr. Olumide Lawal and Ms. Ifeoma Onyeabo, who are all top management staff.

    The NRC Board of Directors on April 16, mandated the management to fire all those involved in the fraud as recommended by a panel set up to probe the scam.

    Some arrowheads of the scam have been rounded up, but the workers are complaining that some of those involved in the scam are being shielded.

    When The Nation visited the Ebute Metta, Lagos head office of the corporation, the workers were seen discussing the development in hushed tones.

    A worker who refused to be named, said the scam had been going on for long. “One thing that is very sure is that the fraud has been going on for a very long time. Three years ago, one top official was sacked by the management for stealing about N3 million. This one is, however, mind boggling and you can see the calibre  of people involved. I am very sure if a keen investigation is conducted, more revelations would be unravelled.”

    He said the workers were miffed that while about 70 persons were indicted by the panel, only a handful were being quizzed, giving the impression that the others were being protected.

    He called on the security operatives to do their job without fear and assist the corporation in getting to the root of the scam.

    Contacted on phone, the corporation’s spokesman, Mr. David Ndakotsu, said he was not aware of the suspects’ movement.

    “I have been away from the office since Easter and I am just resuming, I am not aware of that development (the arrest and transfer of the suspects to Abuja) yet, when I get any information on the matter I will reach you,” Ndakotsu said.

    He, however, said he would not deny the development as the police can investigate a fraud case.

  • Govt releases new guidelines for commercial vehicle operators

    All inter city commercial passenger vehicles without the state’s number-plates will not be allowed to operate in Lagos State henceforth, the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Kayode Opeifa has said.

    At a meeting with leaders of all transport unions in his office in Lagos, he directed security agencies to apprehend vehicles that flout the order.

    He said all commercial passenger vehicles, yellow buses, danfo, taxis and tricycles not yet registered on the state’s data base as licensed commercial passenger vehicles, would no longer operate in the state.

    Opeifa advised operators that wish to continue their business to either comply or move elsewhere.

    This, according to him, is not only to ensure safety of road users, but a continuation of the implementation of the state’s transport management system policy.

    The commissioner added that all commercial passenger vehicles also not painted in the state approved yellow colour with black stripes would not be allowed to operate in any motor parks, garages or on the roads.

    Opeifa tasked leaders of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RETEAN), Tricycle Workers Association of Nigeria (TWAN) and Taxis operators to ensure strict compliance with the directive, adding that LASTMA, VIS and the Police have been directed to demand for all necessary documents from the operators and violators would be penalised in accordance with the law.

    He advised owners of vehicles who are yet to comply with the state commercial passenger’s vehicles accreditation to go to any of the 21 Vehicle Inspection Service Offices in the state with their vehicles for documentation.

    The commissioner also urged drivers and conductors who have not visited any of the five centres of the Lagos State Drivers Institute (LASDRI), for their documentation to do so or risk sanction if caught.

    The Lagos State government began    commercial passenger vehicles documentation on November 1, last year.

  • ICPC writes NRC over N1 billion pension scam

    ICPC writes NRC over N1 billion pension scam

    The N1 billion pension scam over which two directors and nine others were fired at the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) is threatening to tear the corporation apart.

    One of the fired directors is alleging that he did not act alone, naming a top management staff member as the one who approved the pension funds he audited.

    The director’s protest was said to have stalled the immediate implementation of the report which indicted him and others.

    On April 16, the Bamanga Tukur- led board mandated the management to implement the recommendations of the Fidet Okhiria panel set up to investigate the fraud.

    But the management was said to have taken its time in carrying out the directive.

    “From all indication, it is clear that the management is afraid to wield the big stick to avoid opening a can of worms on scams that have been perpetrated in the pension fund over the years,” a source said.

    It was gathered that three years ago, a director was sacked by the management for alleged fraud.

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has written the NRC management requesting for details of the fraud.

    One of the indicted directors and another official have been arrested by the Nigeria Railway Police Command.

    A Murano Sports Utility Van (SUV) belonging to another top official has been withdrawn and now parked on the premises of the Nigeria Railway Police at Ebute-Meta in Lagos, in connection with the investigation.

    Some offices are still locked at the corporation, pending the outcome of the investigation.

    The 2014 Pension Reform Bill passed by the National Assembly recommends 10-year jail term for pension thieves. It also recommends a three-fold refund of stolen pension cash and the forfeiture of all properties acquired with the stolen money.

    Meanwhile the NRC management has elevated some managers.

    Those promoted are the District Manager Eastern District, Mr Felix Njoku, who becomes the Acting Director of Finance.

    Mrs Adun Oshunmakinde, who becomes the Deputy Director of Finance and Mrs Adetunji has been named Assistant Director of Pensions.

  • Ticket shortage hits BRT operators

    Ticket shortage hits BRT operators

    •Agency declines comment

    TICKET shortage may have hit operators of the Lagos State Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) buses.

    It was learnt that on most of the 200 BRT routes, fares are altered with markers before tickets are issued to passengers.

    The development was first noticed in February, but indications are that it may have started earlier. Commuters, who spoke with The Nation, said the shortage was first  noticed on some of the routes last year.

    Commuters plying the Ikorodu-Oshodi route said they noticed the problem in September last year, when some ticketers started using markers to change the fares on the tickets.

    Ismail Odunuga, a printer living in Ikorodu, on the outskirts of Lagos, said the practice started in September.

    He said: “When I first noticed the alteration on my ticket, I questioned the ticketer who appealed to all commuters on board the bus to bear with them,  though he said the problem would soon be resolved, we have all seen that it still subsists. No one seems to know the reason.”

    On the Yaba-Mushin route, commuters have become used to being paired on a ticket while boarding BRT.

    “When it first happened to me, the ticketer, who first gave me a N50 ticket withdrew it and gave me another one of N200 and paired me with three other commuters. Initially I felt funny, but when other commuters didn’t raise any eyebrow, I too adjusted to it,” a passenger, Mrs Bolatito Ajuwon, said of her experience.

    On the Oshodi-Agege route, it has become the norm in the last three months to be given a N50 ticket for a trip which fare is N70. The Nation witnessed a rowdy scene last Tuesday as a commuter, who simply identified himself as Peter, an auto parts dealer at Ladipo in Mushin, demanded an explanation when he was issued a N50 ticket.

    Following Peter’s insistence, the ticketer said: “That was the ticket we were given, if you want to know why, you can go to our office to find out.”

    On some routes, ticketers collect cash from commuters without issuing them tickets.  Mrs Rosemary Nwoko, a regular user of the Bus Franchise Scheme (BFS), operating the Iyana-Ipaja/Oshodi route, said on some occasions, she boarded the bus and paid without being issued a ticket.

    “Initially we were arguing over the development but the ticketers said they weren’t selling tickets because  none was available. We soon ceased being bothered about it,” she said.

    Investigation showed that the shortage cuts across the BRT and the BFS buses because both get their supply from one source-LAGBUS Assets Management company.

    It is unclear whether the scarcity is connected with government’s intention to replace the paper ticket with electronic pay system.

    Flagging off the electronic option in 2012, the Deputy Governor, Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, said government is changing to electronics to further plug waste.

    “When fully on stream, the electronic card would be used on all modes of transportation in the state. Commuters would merely go to accredited vendors to recharge their tapping card, which would be used on calibrated metres to be installed in the buses, the ferries and the trains,” she said.

    But the initiative has yet to take off.

    Efforts to get the LAGBUS’ reaction proved abortive. Its spokesperson, Mrs Yemi Junaid, told The Nation that she was not in a position to speak on the matter.

    She asked The Nation to formally request for information through a letter. “I am just speaking with you for formality sake, you should realise I have a job to protect here and the rule here is that you must make such request formal,” she told The Nation on phone on Wednesday last week.

  • Expert canvasses use of electricity in transportation

    Expert canvasses use of electricity in transportation

    CAN electricity be used to boost transportation? Yes, says Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) Managing Director Dr. Dayo Mobereola who is canvassing its use in urban centres and mega cities like Lagos.

    Mobereola made the suggestion in a paper titled: “Harnessing electricity to grow the transportation sector,” delivered at Ehingbeti 2014, an investment and economic talk shop organised by the Lagos State Government.

    He said the deployment of electricity would reduce the dependence on petroleum products, cut down substantially on vehicular carbon dioxide CO2 emissions and promote smarter transportation initiatives using Intelligent Transport System (ITS) powered by electricity.

    He said: “In Nigeria, Lagos consumes the highest amount of petroleum products at a total of 547million litres in 2010. Out of this, Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) had a 58 per cent share of consumed products, while diesel-the most efficient fuel-only accounts for only 18 per cent.”

    Mobereola observed that this distribution has led to inordinately high CO2 emissions, expensive operation of the public transportation network, and unsustainable public transport system.

    Mobereola listed the advantages inherent in the use of electricity in the transportation system to include energy security, fuel economy, infrastructure availability, cheap operating cost in the long run and lower emissions of Green House Gases (GHG).

    He said the nation is richly blessed in conventional energy resources, which includes oil, natural gas, lignite and coal.

    “We are also well endowed with renewable energy sources such as wood, solar, hydropower, and wind, all of which can be converted for electricity generation,” he said.

    He said the electricity so generated would be used by hybrids vehicles which have engines and electric motors, where the engines only serve as electricity generators for its mobility.

    He, however, identified lack of political will, resistance to change, slow ramp up in the supply of electricity to meet demand, risk of investment in the sector and inadequate regulatory framework for power reform as major hindrances to the initiative.

    Mobereola, whose agency supervises the transportation policy for the state, said a fully integrated mass rapid transit system which includes; six rail lines; one mono rail line, 16 BRT routes, a cable car project and over 20 water routes would be more efficiently run through a stable supply of electricity.

    He added that the implementation of this initiative would lead to a better managed traffic, an efficient public transport which would aid transport integration.

  • Lagos to unveil new parking policy

    A POLICY aimed at addressing the dearth of parking spaces in many parts of Lagos State, may soon be unveiled by the government.

    The policy, it was learnt, is the outcome of a study which revealed that a major cause of traffic jam was insufficient parking spaces.

    Sources said the study showed that no fewer than 10 vehicles vied for parking spaces every 10 seconds at every street corner in the state.

    “This has often left all streets clogged with motor vehicles, with many being parked at the roadside, or on the walkways, while others had to make do with double parking, blocking on-coming vehicles leading to traffic jams especially at the peak hours,” the source added.

    The policy, which would be in line with global best practices it was further learnt would make it mandatory for developers and property owners especially in the area of commercial premises to address the issue of parking. “Providing adequate parking spaces, especially for all commercial buildings may henceforth be one of the conditions for a building approval,” the source said.

    The source said the policy is seen as a continuation of the transformation of the state’s public sector transportation management system and would among others, include parking management, parking design standard, parking control, traffic management for land-use and land development as well as enforcement of edict and by-laws by statutory agencies.

    The Commissioner for Transportation Comrade Kayode Opeifa, could not be reached for his comment on the policy as all calls to his telephone number went unanswered.

    It was, however, learnt that the policy would be formally presented to the motoring public in the state once the policy get the governor’s consent.

  • Commissioner vows to improve traffic flow

    The Lagos State government will continue to improve on the provision of motorable roads, Commissioner for Transportation, Comrade Kayode Opeifa has said.

    The government, which admitted that traffic situation along some routes had been difficult lately, said it remained committed to reducing man-hour loss in traffic across the state.

    Some of the furniture already put in place by the government, he said, was the construction of over 20, 000 road signage, adding that no fewer than 230 kilometres of pavements have been marked, and pedestrian crossing has been provided in 250 locations in the state.

    The commissioner said the state has adopted the practice of providing pedestrian walkways on every new road project being embarked upon, while it is fixing existing roads with the feature.

    Opeifa added that beside the pedestrian crossing, 119 new traffic signal lights have been installed at strategic points across the state.

    “All these has helped in maximising existing road space, reduce vehicle operational cost and promote road safety consciousness. They also ensure an efficient, safe, reliable, sustainable and continuous flow of traffic,” he said.

    He said the government’s commitment to road transportation was borne out of the reality that it remains the most effective and largest means of facilitating the exchange of goods and services across the state and country.

    “Lagos as the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria cannot do without good roads. As a result, great resources have been expended to rebuild its road network,” he said.

    A development where two million vehicles ply the 9,100 road network in the state, built on a 3, 577 square kilometres as well as the volume of traffic on these roads, Opeifa said, had provided a rich field of opportunities for the government to innovate and come up with policies aimed at keeping the state with 20 million people moving.

    The commissioner sued for the understanding of all residents in making sure the safety consciousness being championed by the government takes a firm root.

    He said the government would continue to promote safety and safe conducts while on the road, adding that the vision behind all the state’s transport related agencies is to ensure that the state’s roads are made safe for all road users.

  • NURTW seeks more time on drivers’ documentation

    The Lagos State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede, has called on the government to give drivers and conductors more time to comply with its directive on documentation.

    Last week, the government described compliance to the directive as poor.

    Under the exercise, commercial vehicle owners are to register at the 21 Vehicle Inspection Offices (VIO) and drivers and conductors are to go to the five Lagos State Drivers’ Institute (LASDRI) offices.

    As at the end of last month, Commissioner for Transportation Comrade Kayode Opeifa said 15,000 of the 50, 000 projected operators in the sector had complied with the law. The deadline was January 31.

    Agbede told The Nation that NURTW was committed to ensuring the success of the directive. He added that the government should give his people more time.

    He said: “The government must realise that we, the leaders, are working round the clock to ensure the success of this policy because we are convinced that it is for the good of the people of the state. Every week, we speak with our people and I must say we are achieving result. Even the data of vehicles that have been in mechanic workshops were being captured once they are successfully fixed, and our drivers have being going to LASDRI for verification of their data.”

    Agbede said he had called for a deadline extension in January, to enable his men comply with the regulation, adding that the status of compliance has tremendously improved from what it was in January.

    He said though the government’s assessment may still remain poor, this does not mean that the various bodies, especially the NURTW is not working hard at ensuring the success of the exercise.

    Agbede said he regularly hold meeting with the unit leaders of the union, where he would still urge them to go back to their units and re-emphasise the need for the registration and documentation.

    He said any driver or conductor who would not want to comply with the regulation should psck out of the state, just as he assured that the policy was not out to extort the drivers or any other operator in the sector.

    “The government policy is to make the transportation sector safer and all of us should cooperate with the government in achieving this lofty dream and ensure that we flush out all those who have been giving us a bad name by using their vehicles to carry out crimes which hitherto have dented the good works of the union,” Agbede said.

    He urged the government not to embark on a rash action that would upturn the good rapport that it has forged with the leadership of the union, adding that what is needed is just a little more time to ensure the success of the initiative.