The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has restated the state government’s resolve to complete the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) project by the last quarter of 2022.
The project is expected to change the transport landscape of the state when fully operational and is part of the traffic management plan to actualize the Lagos Rail Mass Transit.
According to NAN, the assurance was given by Sanwo-Olu on Saturday while on an assessment tour of the construction of both Blue and Red Lines with members of his cabinet.
The inspection tour by the governor is coming barely 5 months after he had flagged off the construction of the 37-km-long Red Line, which starts from Agbado and terminates at Oyingbo. The Blue Line project, which started in 2010, is currently at over 80% completion.
What the Governor of Lagos State is saying
Sanwo-Olu said that the take-off of the Red Line project represented a major breakthrough for his administration in its drive to deliver an integrated transportation model that would ease road congestion in the state.
He said, ”We are excited about the ongoing rail projects being undertaken by the Lagos state government and there is a huge number of jobs being provided to Nigerians, engaged by the contractor at all stages of the construction work.
”There is over a thousand personnel working at the Marina Terminal alone. We are happy with the extent of work on both projects. What we have seen at the Ikeja Station, which is the second biggest station after the one being built at Marina, gives us so much hope that the projects are on course.
”Based on the physical assessment, we believe that the timelines set for the completion of major engineering work are on track. We are also believing that our contractor is working on schedule.
”Although there are a few hiccups, we believe we will be able to address and surmount them. By the last quarter of 2022, we hope that trains would move on both corridors. And by 2023, we expect to see the full operation of both Blue and Red Lines.’’
The governor stated that the 2 projects would now be monitored and assessed every quarter in order to guard against the setback that affected the progress of the Blue Line project before the current administration. Sanwo-Olu, during the inspection tour stopped and assessed work done so far at the Yaba Terminal of the Red Line, the Oyingbo Terminus, where construction was at the third level towards completion.
He said, ”At the Marina Station, not only are we building rail tracks, underneath we will have a bus station as well, for the BRT and First-and-Last Mile buses. “There will also be a ferry service at the Marina Station for those who want to travel on the waterways.’’
The governor commended the Chinese contractor for the speed of the construction, while noting the need for knowledge and skills transfer, in order to retain the engineering skills brought into the projects by the contractor.
What you should know
Recall that the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had in April 2021, flagged off the construction of the 37-km Rail Mass Transit Red Line, which will traverse from Agbado to Marina, moving over 1 million commuters daily.
The Red Line which is part of the state government’s vision of an integrated multimodal transportation system contained in the State’s Strategic Transport Master Plan (STMP), developed by LAMATA, is to raise mass transportation capacity in the State, complementing the Blue Line that traverses from Okokomaiko to Marina.
