A revolution began in Lagos on May 1 with the introduction of the new buses under the Bus Reform
Initiative (BRI) with free service on five routes, writes OLATUNDE ODEBIYI
THE launch pad was across five routes, including Berger to Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Berger to Oshodi, Oshodi to TBS, Ikeja to Alausa and Ikeja to Oshodi to commemorate the Workers Days. The day was May 1 and commuters enjoyed a free ride. The following day, normal service started.
All thanks to a Lagos State Government company, the Lagos Bus Services Limited (LBS), which is set to revolutionise the service delivery and communing experience of public transportation in Lagos for good. An outgrowth of the Lagos Bus Reform Project, LBS is a Transport Asset Acquisition, Operations, and Advisory Services Company that is the brain behind the new, medium and high capacity buses slowly making an appearance across the Lagos metropolis. The Bus Reform Project (BRP) is a component of the Strategic Transport
Master Plan (STMP) of the State Government, which is a policy response to the challenges of incessant traffic gridlock across the entire State. The STMP aims to change the transportation narrative of the State and
creating hope of a lasting solution to the traffic and congestion problems in the not too distant future.
The BRP aspect of the STMP involves a gradual re-fleeting of the 14 – 18 seater yellow minibus (danfo) with
40-passenger medium and 80-passenger high capacity buses to reduce the number of buses plying the State’s
roads, improve ecology of the State through the reduction in emission, improve travel times, and activate Public
Private Partnerships (PPP). The initiative likewise is geared to encourage many more people to leave their cars at home and use the buses thereby reducing traffic congestion.
Another major feature of the BRP is its job creation component as drivers and bus attendants have been employed on a massive scale. To kickstart the BRP, 820 of an expected 5000 buses have been pressed into service on various routes across the State to ease the daily movement of millions of Lagos commuters under the aegis of the LBS. Launched on April 24 by President Muhammadu Buhari, the buses are a significant step of the BRP’s mission to redefine the public transportation system in Lagos with the injection of modern buses and terminals targeted towards transforming the way residents commute from one point to another within the State. Procured with government funds, the Brazilian-built Marco Polo buses are a wonder on wheels, equipped with air conditioning and reserved seating for the physically challenged, the aged, and pregnant women. Each bus has six emergency exits and a first aid kit, while every seat has a dedicated USB port for charging phones, free WiFi, television, and CCTV cameras linked to a control centre to monitor everything going on in the buses.
According to LBS’s Managing Director, Mr. Idowu Oguntona, “the company’s mission is to provide smart and sustainable bus transportation solutions to meet the needs of the modern city of Lagos. To achieve its vision of being the dominant service provider within the mass transit sector in Nigeria, LBS has created a competitive space where urban mobility guarantees a market for mass transit transport operators, to whom it will make available the means to move Lagos in comfort, with adequate capacity and affordable pricing,” he said. Oguntona said this is a superior approach that would restore sanity in the use of public transportation facilities by millions of Lagos residents. “Perhaps we are not too far off from a time when commuters will park their cars at home and use the new Lagos Buses for their daily commute. Imagine how traffic-free and reduced stress Lagos would then be,” he enthused. “We want LBS is to build a strong emotional connection with the average Lagos commuter by building a clear competitive advantage in brand, service, pricing, availability, and customer service.
“That’s why the new Lagos Buses are presented in a bright colour which differentiates them from alternative transport systems and communicates in a clear, consistent, and attractive manner the company’s commitment to providing decent, efficient, modern public transportation for the people of Lagos,” Mr Oguntona said. To achieve this comprehensive goal, LBS has been structured to license and franchise bus routes to operators; acquire, equip, and maintain public transport vehicles; and carry on the business of proprietors and carriers of passengers both in public conveyance and in private vehicles. The company is also responsible for issuing licenses and permits to operators on such special and dedicated routes it earmarks and supervises. The 820 buses recently put on the road by the LBS are leased to private operators through an operating lease model which has incorporated the current road transport operators — — National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria(RTEAN) — as part of the Bus Operating Companies(BOS). The operators will use 3 depots located at Oshodi, Anthony, and Yaba to ensure that the buses are sustained and maintained properly. Routes have been allocated to the BOS for effective implementation of the Bus Reform Project. Operating companies are certified professional public transport service providers who will operate the buses according to the approved Lease Operating Statement (LOS).
The vehicles are of uniform specification, run on predictable schedules, and ply routes supported by an appropriate infrastructure for efficient and effective mass transportation. Their operations are driven by technology, service delivery, and a creative, engaging, and exciting rider
experience. With the deployment of technology, LBS has put in place an Intelligent Transport Service (ITS) under which the new Lagos Buses operate. An electronic information system which provides real-time passenger information is provided for the service. It includes estimates of bus arrival and departure times as well as information about the nature and causes of delays or disruptions. Electronic ticketing has also been put in place to ensure fast boarding of passengers and revenue protection which in turn will reduce waiting time at boarding points.
Drivers and attendants have been fully trained and certified to work in a respectable and sane manner using well-tailored uniforms and identity badges for easy identification to the entire public. Infrastructure has been provided for the smooth running of the service including bus shelters, lay-bys, bus flags, terminals, and depots at various strategic points along the routes. To achieve the goal of seamless passenger movement as envisioned by the Lagos Bus Reform Project, the State has been divided into five Strategic Transport Zones for the purpose of identifying transport and traffic dynamics of each of the zones and for the efficient implementation of the
project. These Strategic Transport Zones are Ikeja, Lagos Island, Oshodi, Oshodi
to Abule Egba, and Strategic Linkages. The five zones are the major transport hubs in Lagos and the centres from which the new Lagos Buses which radiate out along the spokes. Each hub is characterized by major transport activities and also serves as prominent key destinations of commuters. Each of the zones also contains other transport sub-hubs which are major trip destinations from other parts of the State. With these various measures, LBS has positioned itself as not just a transport alternative but an enabler and facilitator of pleasurable and relaxing commutes across the Lagos metropolis. The company is a friendly ally in moving Lagos in comfort, whether for work or leisure. A customer-focused entity with proficient leadership, LBS is one service provider which captures and expresses the bustling energy and vibrancy of Lagos State.
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