Lagos to phase out danfo bus

Finally, the Lagos State Government is on its way in enforcing the state’s Traffic Laws 2012, which, among other areas, aimed at regulating commercial bus routes and standard. Yesterday, the state’s Ministry of Transportation unveiled plan to phase out commercial bus (danfo) and motorcycle (okada).
 

Mini commercial buses in Lagos known as Danfo

During a ministerial briefing to herald Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s one year in office, secretariat Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, said new transportation reform would be mandated for commercial bus drivers and their conductors to appear in new uniforms as well as route tags for identification.

   

“We are determined to professionalise road transport sector by curbing tendencies to violence; retrain drivers; create appropriate database and maintain discipline. Other components to be intro-duced are: colour uniformity for all public transport in the state, body tag, re-fleeting, repainting ‘danfos’ with new buses, new number plate, corporate outlook for operators and commuters bus routing system.”

He added that new the buses to be introduced would be 30 seater in place of 14/18 seats Danfo buses. “They (danfo drivers) can exchange their buses for the new buses. Their buses will be part of the equity towards the purchase of the new bus.

He explained how government hoped to deal with phasing out of the danfo buses: “There are two ways of dealing with the issue. There is what they call outright ban and what we call economy displacement. Economic displacement simply means that you leave the residents to make choice.

If we put 250 buses in Oshodi operating at cheaper price, the vehicles are available, comfortable and efficient, who will leave those buses for danfo buses? What we experienced at Ojota, Fadeyi and Ikorodu with commuters on the BRT buses is what will happen. Commuters prefer to stay for more than an hour waiting for buses.”

Mobereola also disclosed how Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has executed the Lagos Light Rail Project till date.  He said: “As you are aware, the phase 1 is from Mile 2 to the National Theatre where infrastructure works is 95 per cent completed.The phase 2 is from the National Theatre to Marina where we have achieved 40 percent completion, and it is anticipated that infrastructure works is scheduled for the end of 2016,” Mobereola said.

As earlier reported exclusively by Newekodun, the commissioner confirmed a proposed rail project from Agbado to Marina. “We are presently discussing with all stakeholders on the construction of red line from Agbado to Marina. We are happy to report that the Federal Government has approved the Right of Way (RoW), as it will run parallel on the existing corridor of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC),” he revealed.