Kayode Olopade
As part of plans to mitigate the effects of the current hardship occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidies by the Federal government, the Lagos State government is set to introduce about 2, 000 Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, buses before the end of 2024.
The government is also set to launch about 231 electric vehicles by the end of June 2024.
Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi revealed this in Alausa, Ikeja at the commencement of the 2024 ministerial briefing on the activities of the Ministry.
According to Osiyemi, the government is already engaging a private company on the acquisition of the CNG buses, which will be distributed in two phases of 1,000.
“We are also looking at introducing about 231 electric vehicles on our road to complement the existing fleet of vehicles using diesel and petrol,” Osiyemi said.
The initiative, he noted, is to deliver cheaper, safer, and more climate-friendly energy to the State’s residents.
“Right now, we are working with private operators under a PPP arrangement to launch over two thousand CNG buses for residents to enjoy a carbon-free emission atmosphere”, he added.
He also stated that the government has continued to prioritise its intermodal transportation system to make life comfortable for Lagosians.
He said: “We are putting in place a bus reform initiative, collaborating with the private sector to build more jetties even as we continue to embrace innovative technology in the sector”.
To further enhance the operations of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, the Commissioner said the government is set to launch a twenty-four-hour toll-free call centre.
He noted that the state is also building bus terminals, which are at various levels of completion.
On illegal okada operation, Osiyemi said the Ministry’s Task Force has impounded over five thousand motorcycles, operating illegally, across the state in the last three months.
To manage traffic more efficiently, he revealed that the Ministry, among other initiatives, is surveying to ascertain the number of commercial buses needed per route.
Speaking earlier, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso said the briefing was in commemoration of the first year of the second term of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.
“It is meant for MDAs to present their scorecards and achievements to the media as well as Lagosians”, he noted.