New project to ease gridlock in Lagos
A new Urban Railway Development project, embarked upon by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) in conjunction with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is expected to reduce gridlock in the state, particularly in Marina, Victoria Island and Ikoyi.
The $1 billion project, called the Automated Guide Transit (AGT), a type of Monorail, would mitigate traffic congestion and improve business environment, Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Dayo Mobereola said during a presentation on the plan in Lagos.
Mobereola said the essence of commencing the project from Marina, Victoria Island and Ikoyi was because the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Lagos State majorly comes the axis.Acting Managing Director of LAMATA, Iyiola Adeboye, said the project, would ensure smooth transportation and reduce gridlock in Lagos State.
Adeboye said: “Lagos State should have a Mega City Structure as is seen in other countries.”While addressing the current condition of transportation in Lagos Island, LAMATA Public Transport Director, Gbenga Dairo observed that the current issues affecting road networking around Victoria Island and Ikoyi were inappropriate road layout, poor traffic management, inadequate public transport and institutional obstacles.
Team Leader of JICA, Akiyama Yoshihiro, while presenting a survey of the project stated that the preparatory survey was based on terms of reference between JICA and LAMATA carried out in August 2015.
Giving the survey report, Yoshihiro explained that JICA conducted its first survey on route planning/ demand forecast in March – April 2016, and as a follow up on rough estimate of project cost review of funding policy, comparison and review of the new transportation systems, initial environmental and social considerations.
Expressing worry about how to power the project, he assured the stakeholders that with or without gas supply, there will be an inbuilt generator to power the project.
He however stressed more on route planning, stating that after much deliberation in reviewing the route plan of Victoria Island Monorail Line in revised Strategic Transport Master Plan (STMP) and considering route options for the project, the conclusion on the proposed best route plan was actualised with the total length of approximately 15.4km and 16 stations within, connecting from Marina to British International School Way with two ways visible in both island (Victoria Island/ Ikoyi).
The basic concept of the survey is to minimize obstruction and to check for possible land acquisition that will result to good connectivity with other transport modes and Eko Atlantic City, he noted.
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4 Comments
I didn’t know much about Lagos at the time – I lived in Obalande at the time go to work at the Statistics Dept. and back to my flat Toyan Street! There must be solutions to Lagos traffic problem if you can let somebody help you guys! Problem in Nigeria is that you tell or give solution somebody takes it and they go and mess it all up otherwise I gave them at the Alausa H.Q. solution for the refuse – they tried it at Epe LG. without my knowledge and the failed! Somebody should tell them that there is usually something about designs that designers do not want to reveal unless you engage them and pay for such works! Attempt to carry ot their design on their back you sometimes end up in confusion which was what happened to Epe L.G. refuse design and they felt that it is not practicable! I told the also what can be done about mosquitoes infested Surulere sector of the City and you cannot believe this – the Bar Beach surge! There is solution to every problems if you’re truly a believer so, here we are – in fact I went to report on Lagos Ibadan highway in the 80s for the Ministry and when they embarked on the maintenance and repair works Vincent was nowhere to be seen and you are still grappling with the problems on that expressway! Nigeria – TAKU!
My dear Vincent,
Well said. It is for this reason, i.e., lack of respect for intellectual property, that many Nigerian professionals (home and abroad) don’t respond to calls for help by Nigeria’s officials. I advocate that next time before giving away such idea, you put it on paper and/or register it as an intellectual property so that the idea will have some record and some trail of whom idea it is/was originally. This might (just might) help to stem the problem of people stealing other people’s ideas.
Rexmond – Thank you Rexmond I have all those things you just mentioned! You think that they will matter but I see that Nigeria is a ‘hard nut’ to crack, not surprising the failures in their attempts to get it right, but not in this case! i have given them enough line to do something but it looks as if the Courts and their close friends (Inter. also) will have to do this on my behalf when I am ready!
You’ll be surprised what you see about Option A-4 and the finger/ name reader machine taken verbatim from my book – you’ll not believe this even the (TSA suggested since 1986) but then the problem of Nigeria – is who do you tell and he/ she is willing to act that early! Just log on http://www.virgo-enterprised.com and tell me what you see – acting as a ‘repository’ now for Nigerian authorities and they are talking about corruption, folks!
We will review and take appropriate action.