The Lagos State government yesterday said it has earmarked N30 billion to jump-start the bus reform.
It said the initiative will begin with the inauguration of the ultra-modern Ikeja Bus Terminal.
Acting Commissioner for Transportation, Prince Anofiu Elegushi, spoke at the second Traffic Radio lecture series at the Radio House in Agidingbi, Ikeja.
, Elegushi said the fund, which is the first tranche of a N100 billion fresh funds to be financed by bond, will provide 5,000 large and medium capacity buses that will be handled by franchise operators over five years.
He said the initiative was designed to move away from what he called the unregulated all-comer operators.
The commissioner said operators and government would give the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) an option of first refusal to key into the initiative and operate the service.
Elegushi said: “Let me again restate that this is not in any way a move to ban the yellow buses or take them away from the roads. It is to give to Lagos a modern transport service that befits a mega city. All transport unions will be given an offer of first refusal because it will run in a franchise system where franchise operators will be allocated a multiple of 50, 100 to 200 buses.
“Of the 3,600 large capacity, 1,400 would be medium capacity buses. The buses will carry between 30 to 47 passengers and come with modern facilities, such as wifi, mobile phone charging points, among other conveniences.”
He noted that with the eventual take-off of the reform, there would be a re-routing of existing bus operators to service the inner roads.
This, the commissioner said, would provide transportation alternatives closer to the residents.