Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, is BRT going into extinction after 17 years? stakeholders express concerns

 

 

By allcitynews.blog 

Almost 17 years after commencement of its first operation in Lagos, the hope  of  Lagosians to enjoy comfortable and affordable transportation is almost  being  dashed as it is their  joy in smooth transportation is gradually fading away into painful ride.

Their happiness in patronage of state-owned mass transportation is now a daily marked with  stress with the  people being made to go  through hard conditions.

With gradual reduction on number of the  buses, whenever they are on queues, stakeholders directly and indirectly have been discussing among themselves about the readiness of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) to sustain the treaportation and save them from public privately-own commercial bus operators.

It may be true that LAMATA lost 80 BRT buses worth N3.9 billion during #EndSARS Protest, which led to the  reduction of its operating vehicles, which according to authority, brought set back to the wellness of BRT operations.

But since that #EndSARS protest on 8 October 2020, BRT passengers have been going through tough times to  the  point that passengers are systematically being forced to spend hours on queues. Even when there is available bus, managers at Yaba/Tejuosho terminal and Berger end along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have been stylishly making commuters to wait on queue,  at the bus would overload as most of them are made to stand or sit on the floor of the bus throughout the journey. They are made to stand at the bus terminal,  irrespective of the weather, until they are 40 people in number before they are allowed into the bus.

Speaking with allcitynews.blog, unaware that she was talking to journalist, the manager at Yaba/Tejusho terminal,  boastfullly said, "for Berger, Iyana Ipaja routes, we don't have much buses, as  such, passengers will have to wait till we have 40 passengers on queue before we will release the next bus for them. We are  trying to satisfy passengers' demand with the few buses, especially for  those on Berger and Iyana Ipaja routes, so we have to try to satisfy everyone with  the only available buses."

Responding to why she is making them to wait until they are upto 40 passengers in number before allowing them entry the bus rather than allowing them to enter inside and relax inside the bus, she refused to talk.

Findings by allcitynews  showed that at times, passengers are made to wait on queues for one hour without any available seats for them to sit while waiting for the next available bus which may take one hour or more  to  arrive especially at TBS end when workers are going back home. 

And once it is 4pm, there will be no more bus whether at Yaba or Tafawa Balewa Square end, as a result, passengers are systematically made to squeeze themselves inside, this is so as the passengers are stylishly packed due to the announcement, "this is the last bus to Berger for today," as such, commuters are made to force themselves inside the bus.

Since there  are no seats, especially at TBS for them to sit while waiting for  buses, some commuters, expressed their pain. For example, a man who wss wearing his office identification card  bearing Nasir said, "we are suffering in the midst of plenty. This is suffering and smiling because there is no better alternative for one to get home. You can imagine how many buses are currently parked in their yards, lack of maintenance culture has  crept  into LAMATA.  By now, LAMATA ought to  have reliable motor mechanics to continue to  work on those grounded buses. Most of  them are grounded due to no maintenance culture in Nigeria."

Also chatting with Allcitynews.ng at TBS end, a man, who pinned his ID card to his shirt pocket, Kassim said, "We lack maintenance culture here in Nigeria. Why can't LAMATA have round the clock maintenance hands to ensure functional buses, if indeed they are ready to run mass-transportation vehicles, they should take drastic steps for revival of those buses that are packed".

Also, on her part, a woman charged LAMATA to reduce the stress the commuters are facing on daily basis, adding that the  privately-owned yellow buses lack financial and infrastructural comfortability that are being enjoyed  in BRT buses. "All over the world, especially in civilised countries, their are governments established mass transit buses even trains,  I wonder why  LAMATA cannot sustain this one."