OLORUNDARE ENIMOLA
Lagos as a conurbation is unarguably the biggest transport hub in Nigeria and indeed a transporters haven.
With an estimated 24 million residents and about 70% of these economically viable, it throws up the need for mobility through Transport services that requires to be heavily regulated owing to safety and emerging security issues.
In a State where most of the commercial vehicles are rickety and many of the commercial drivers are known for their irritable attitudes towards passengers, traffic officials cum regulations, the government cannot be expected to fold their arms and allow such a vital and critical sector to remain unregulated.
Commuters in the State lament what they described as the rickety nature of many commercial buses, popularly known as Danfobuses, with many in a state of disrepair, without passenger doors, window glasses, headlights, brake lights, wipers and adequate seats, others operate with broken windshields, while some pollute the environment with thick smoke or noise from their exhaust pipes.
It was therefore, apt for the State government to have created a Department known as the Directorate of Public Transportation and Commuter Services, PTCS, to cater and regulate commuting operations with the ultimate aim of ensuring passenger satisfaction in every ride.
Until recently, under the THEMES+ agenda of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu government, the challenges associated with daily commuting as experienced by passengers remained largely unchanged and was almost becoming intractable, despite the existence of the Directorate.
Daily Independent in a recent interview with some commuters had a number of them criticising commercial drivers who they said are always putting passengers’ lives at risk rather than fixing their buses to ensure safety.
One of the passengers who gave his name as Kayode Oluyemo, regretted that he and other passengers do not really have a choice but to board these rickety commercial vehicles because of the absence of suitable competitors.
“Do we really have a choice to either accept or reject any passenger vehicle that comes our way on Lagos roads? After all, I do not have a car, so I have to manage the rickety buses no matter their conditions”, he lamented.
However, the authorities at the State’s Ministry of Transportation, under Mr. OluwaseunOsiyemi, the Lagos State, Commissioner for Transportation has taken proactive steps to ensure full implementation of the Directorate’s mandate by introducing bold strategies that will not only guarantee passenger satisfactions but ensure safety and security of every party in the transportation chain.
A recent press release from the Ministry in addressing the various passenger dissatisfaction, states that the Lagos State government has unveiled a Bus Reform Initiative designed to enhance public commuting and better serve the residents.
The release said, only Danfo buses that meet basic safety standards would be permitted to operate on the Lekki-Epe corridor from October 1, 2024, while others are to service inner routes under the first and last mile arrangement.
According to Honourable Sola Giwa, Special Adviser to the State Governor on Transportation, “the primary goal of the Bus Reform Initiative was to restructure commercial bus operations. He said the initiative would introduce mass transit buses for the Lekki-Epecorridor as a pilot project.
“It is also in the wisdom of the State that only Danfo buses that meet the basic safety standards would be permitted to operate on the Lekki-Epecorridor from October 1, 2024.
“Danfo and Korope buses will undergo roadworthiness checks, and drivers will receive professional training at our driving institute,” Hon. Giwa said.
He said designated routes would be assigned, and compliance would be strictly monitored. According to him, passenger comfort would be a top priority and the State will introduce an e-ticketing system.
The issue of illegal passenger pickups and unauthorised bus stops will be effectively addressed, stressing that the initiative has prompted transport operators to register for new franchises with the ministry of transportation.
However, a few weeks after the announcement, some private transport operators in the State started speaking against the Government, accusing it of trying to eliminate private transport operators from the Lagos roads, especially from the Lekki-Epe corridor, prompting Mr. Sola Giwa to further clarify the intentions of the government saying, that the forthcoming Bus Reform Initiative (BRI) aims to improve public commuting and enhance the lives of Lagos residents.
“The BRI is set to restructure commercial bus operations, starting with the introduction of mass transit buses specifically for the Lekki-Epecorridor. As part of this pilot project, Danfobuses that meet basic safety standards will operate as mid-capacity buses. Additionally, compliant Korope buses will be integrated into the First Mile Last Mile services to serve interior roads from Obalende/CMS to Ajah(specifically Eleko).” Sola said.
He explained that the key components of the initiative will include: ensuring Roadworthiness checks for Danfo and Korope buses; Professional training for drivers at the Lagos State driving institute; Designated routes with strict compliance monitoring; Introduction of an e-ticketing system to enhance passenger comfort; and putting measures to eliminate illegal passenger pickups and unauthorized bus stops.
A stakeholders’ meeting on June 27th, attended by heads of Transport Unions, key Transport Operators, and officials from the State’s Ministry of Transportation, resulted in a signed communique addressing all doubts and concerns.
Addressing similar issues earlier in the year, the State Government says it will sanction any E-hailing company who fails to comply with essential data sharing agreements.
He said, “Immediate corrective action is imperative to rectify non-compliance with the data sharing agreement and API integration of the state”.
Oluwaseun Osiyemi, the Lagos Commissioner for Transportation, in the Month of March, said the violation of established regulations by the e-hailing company is “alarming”.
Osiyemi emphasised that integration of the Application Programme Interface (API) will enable “real-time data sharing for government monitoring and accountability during active trips”.
He said: “Immediate corrective action is imperative to rectify non-compliance with the data sharing agreement and API integration of the state”.
The commissioner urged users to “take caution as the sanction will affect all violators.
Following this determination by the State government to ensure compliance to standards by e-hailing businesses in the State, latest reports has it that the operators has started complying according to the quest of the government.
In August 2020, the Lagos state government revised the regulations for e-hailing service operators in the state.
It is therefore, expected that e-hailing drivers are to have a Lagos State Drivers’ Institute (LASDRI) card, a driver badge and vehicle body tag issued by the Department of Public Transport and Commuter Services of the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation.
Also, vehicles on ride-hailing platforms must possess a Hackney permit issued by the Lagos State Motor Vehicle Administration Agency and be fitted with a corresponding vehicle body tag from the Directorate.
Daily Independent on a fact finding mission reached out to Engineer Adebayo Olusoji, the Director at the Directorate of Public Transport and Commuter Services at his Ikeja GRA office who along with Mrs. Bolanle Ogunlola, the Deputy Director, Public Affairs at the State Ministry of Transportation responded to my enquiries.
Engineer Olusoji said the core mandate of the Agency is the effective routing of commercial vehicles and full accreditation of vehicles and drivers, saying, “we also issue stage carriage permits to logistic and passenger vehicles as stipulated in the Lagos State Transport reform law of 2018 and working along with LAMATA in the Bus Reform Initiative designed under the very brilliant THEMES Agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to enhance public commuting and better serve the residents of Lagos.
“Danfo buses that conform to the standards of the VIS will operate as mid-capacity buses while Korope buses that also meet the standards will be integrated into the First Mile Last Mile services to serve the interior roads along the stretch from Obalende/CMS to Ajah(specifically Eleko).
“Also we are working together with the Lagos State Vehicle Inspection Service VIS, to address the fundamental challenges associated with commuting services by private operators in the State, including; security breaches, unruly attitudes exhibited by most drivers and conductors, the use of rickety, route violations among others as captured in THEMES Agenda, that is aimed at reforming the transportation sector to attain global best practices.” Engr. Adebayo added.
He revealed that since assuming the leadership of the Transport Ministry, the trio of Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, the Commissioner, Honourable Sola Giwa, S.A. to the Governor and Mr. Musa Olawale, the P.S, has brought tremendous progress to its entire operations, especially the digitalisation of our working process, leading to seamless attainment of set goals.
Mrs Ogunlola added that the management of the e-hailing operating within the state, the Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) and Application Program Interface initiative API was introduced to capture the real time data from the e-hailing operators for safety, security, prompt emergency response and auditing purposes.
The Directorate according Engr. Adebayo, has since 2023 introduced Digitalisation of Payments for Stage Carriage, Vehicle Body Tag, Drivers Badge, Conductors Badge, easy monitoring and tracking of activities of operators of commercial passenger buses.
The implementation of API for e-Hailing trip monitoring has also helped the security frameworks for e-hailing operators; tracking of trip pick-up and destination details, Engr. Adebayo said.
While encouraging commercial vehicle operators and owners, drivers and conductors, Tricycles, e-hailing and regular cab operators to procure the Directorate’s Vehicle Body Tag, Driver’s Badge and Stage Carriage Permit as part of documents required for operation within the metropolis.
He added that the government would not shirk its responsibility to regulate the operations of commercial passenger vehicles/public transportation and the operators for efficiency, safety and security as well as the sustainability of a reliable public transportation system
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