Integration of transport key to addressing gridlock
According to Lagos State's Commissioner for Transport, Ladi Lawanson, work is underway to integrate rail, road and water transport systems in an effort to address persistent gridlocks in the state.
Lawanson recentlly told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN): “In order to get everything right, the state government [is] implementing a master plan to integrate the major transportation systems to ensure free flow of traffic and curb incessant gridlocks.
“The transportation master plan involves the three major modes of transportation: the rail, road and water. For the road transport, work is going on to ensure the transportation sector is transformed to the modern system which is practised globally.
“The road system has the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), which we have been using for a while and the state served as the operator. We were running it like that until we found out that the method was not suitable because government, to be frank, has no business to be in a business.
“Rather, the government has decided to opt out and now be a regulator.”
Lawanson further said that efforts were being made to ensure the safety of the public on national waterways, revealing that the Lagos State government was procuring boats to respond to emergencies.
“The state government is working on bringing ideals and best practices on water transportation as the sub-sector requires millions dollars of investment, if we are to do it right. We are going to procure life-saving boats, top speed boats and quick response boats such that, anytime there is an emergency, we will rescue promptly without recording any casualty,” he said.
Lawanson continued: “The government also distributes free life jackets to jetties periodically to save lives on waterways.