The reduction is for Thursday (September 4).

The state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced this in a statement made available to newsmen.

According to Sanwo-Olu, the reduction is to mark the second anniversary the state’s rail line, Blue Line Rail.

“Two years ago, we took a bold step with the launch of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit Blue Line. Today, as I look back on how far we have come, I feel a deep sense of pride and gratitude.

“In these two years, the Blue Line has carried more than five million passengers safely, without a single accident.

“Trains now run every 10 minutes, making over 90 trips each day. Journeys that once took much longer have become faster and easier.

READ ALSO: EXTRA: What a sacrilege!

“These achievements show that when we work with dedication and purpose, we can build systems that truly serve the people,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu thanked Lagos State residents for  trust and support.

“If you have not yet experienced the Blue Line, I encourage you to take a ride and see what we have built together.

“Our journey is far from over.

“Step-by-step, we are creating the Lagos we all desire, building a city where moving around is easier, safer and faster,” he said.

Source: NAN

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The announcement was made on Wednesday at a press conference by the Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, LAMATA, Engr. Abimbola Akinajo.

Akinajo, who took reporters on a guided ride and tour of the physical infrastructure of the Blue Line Rail from the Marina Station to the National Arts Theatre Station in Iganmu, said Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, would take the inaugural ride on the train at 9 a.m. on Monday, September 4, before other passengers begin to ride.

She said partial passenger operations would start on Tuesday from 6:30 am to 10 a.m. for the morning peak and the afternoon Peak from 4 pm to 9:30 pm, adding that the operations would start with 12 trips for two weeks, which would later be increased to 76 trips per day.

Akinajo disclosed that though the train is electric, it would run on locomotive for the first four weeks of operation to allow the electric system to come up fully and sync properly with the physical infrastructure, adding that the plan is to allow passengers to get familiar with the rail system.

She said despite the train running on locomotive for the first four weeks, the tracks would remain energised so that passengers are not allowed to cross them.

READ ALSO: Allocation crisis: LG bosses meet Abiodun, deny Adedayo’s claims

The LAMATA boss said about 150,000 passengers were expected to board the train daily.

“The train would run 12 trips in two schedules for now – 6.30 am to 10 am (morning peak) and 4.30 pm – 9 pm (evening peak). The train will stop for 90 seconds at each station. It will run 76 trips, from 5.30 am to 11 pm, when it becomes fully operational in four weeks,” she said.

The full length of the train trip from Marina – Mile 2, according to Akinajo would cost N750 but noted that the 50 per cent discount announced by Governor Sanwo-Olu on all Lagos public transportation rides also applied to the train ride.

She said passengers could only access the service with their cowry cards, noting that cash or paper tickets would not be accepted.

Akinajo, who warned against eating and drinking on the train, said adequate security had been put in place for the security of lives and property, noting that anyone with criminal intent would be arrested and handed over to the Police as there were about 30 cameras along the tracks.

She said: “A full Journey from Marina to Mile 2 will cost N750 and Zonal fares will be between N400 and N500 for people not making the complete full trip. The transportation palliative announced by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu will also cover the Train system, meaning that the highest fare for the full trip will be N375.

“We are going to put safety measures in place. There are over 300 CCTV cameras across the whole Blue Line Rail and over 30 cameras monitoring the tracks alone. Command and Control centres are also available in all stations. Plain cloth security agents and officers of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps will ride with passengers at all times. Any altercation on the train will not be tolerated. Vandalism also will not be tolerated.”

Speaking on the initial delay in the commencement of the Blue line rail, which was earlier scheduled to commence operation in August, Akinajo said the delay was caused by prevailing circumstances around import and export.

She, however, noted that LAMATA was committed to starting operations on September 4 without any further delay since all the necessary things have been put in place for the operations of the Blue line rail.

It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari on January 24, 2023, in the company of Governor Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, commissioned the first phase of the Blue line rail, which runs from Marina to Mile 2 and also witnessed the signing of the commencement of Phase 2 of the project from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko.

The Blue line rail, part of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit, will run 27.5 km from Marina to Okokomaiko, with 13 stations and an end-to-end journey time of 35 minutes.

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The Managing Director of LAMATA, Abimbola Akinajo, gave the warning ahead of the inauguration of the rail line by the state government.

Akinajo who spoke in a video message to the people of the state said they should use the overhead bridges and other exits provided once the train starts functioning.

According to the LAMATA boss, being a facility that runs on electricity, it could electrocute anyone that might have contact with it.

Her words: “We all know that we have publicised that the Blue Line will be an electrified rail system, which means the electrification will be along the track.

READ ALSO: Sanwo-Olu: Lagos Blue Line rail project at 90 per cent completion

“For us that means there are no tolerance.

“If you want to cross from one side to the other, you must make use of the overhead bridges.

“This is a necessity for all of us to understand.

“We have a government that is very responsible and we have fenced all the alignment for the Blue Line to ensure that people do not cross it.

“But we see time and time again that people go there and cut the fences and they run across.

“This is fine until we electrify and we need to understand that this is not acceptable.

“Not because LAMATA is saying don’t do it, but because it is a matter of life and death.

“It is a health and safety issue.

“Anywhere in the world this is how it functions and if we want to develop, we need to begin to understand that this is the way we are heading.

“For a sustainable rail system that is good for emission, electrified rail is the way forward and when your rail is electrified, then we must not interface with it.

“We ask this and we ask that people be responsible and understand that it is mandatory that nobody crosses the track.

“We have bothered to put pedestrian crossing, access for physically challenged and therefore we have no reason to cross the track.

“We just ask that the people respect this and respect the rails because if we don’t, we would find ourselves in very dire situation.”

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He said work on the Blue Line rail project was at 90 per cent completion as contractors were working seven days a week so that Lagosians would ride a train on the rail by the first quarter of 2023.

The governor gave the reassurance on Sunday while speaking to journalists at the Marina Train Station after about three hours of inspection of ongoing works on the Blue Line rail project and stations at the National Theatre Iganmu, Orile, Suru Alaba, Mile 2 and Marina axis of the state.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, who inspected the Blue line rail project alongside some of his cabinet members, top officials of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) and contractors handling the project, moved from the National Arts Theatre rail station on a construction track to Orile Iganmu, Alaba and Mile 2 stations to inspect the four train stations on the Blue line rail.

He said the blue line rail would be running on electric tracks with Electric Motor Vehicle (EMV) and therefore warned citizens to keep off the train lines and ensure they didn’t walk on it.

The governor after riding back to the National Arts Theatre station on a construction track also inspected a new four-coach train, which according to him, was a typical train that would be used on the blue line.

He also disclosed the Lagos State government’s plan to bringing additional two sets of four-train coaches from China between September and October, adding that adequate security would be put in place at every train station and platform with the use of CCTV.

“This is the first time I am taking you on the blue line to see where we are. The first phase of the Blue line rail project starts from Mile 2 and terminates at Marina. Marina Station is an elevated station and it stretches out to outer Marina and terminates where the governor’s residence is. At the end of the station, you could see that the track is broken into two bridges. The backtrack is for parking.

“We are happy that the contractors are working seven days a week. The major aspect apart from the Marina Station is a sea crossing from Eko Bridge to join the outer Marina. They would finish it in about three months. And by the time we will be coming back in July, the concrete construction should have been completed.”

Governor Sanwo-Olu while condemning the level of vandalism along the rail corridors warned perpetrators to desist from such evil acts.

He said the government would go after companies that purchased vandalised rail tracks infrastructure, adding that culprits would be traced and made to face the wrath of the law.

Meanwhile, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Sunday issued a three days ultimatum to traders under the Apogbon Bridge in Lagos Island to vacate or risk demolition of the space by Wednesday this week.

He gave the warning while driving on the bridge during his inspection of the blue line rail project and saw that traders were back under the bridge with their goods displayed after they were driven away in the aftermath of the fire outbreak under the Apogbon bridge about six weeks ago.

Governor Sanwo-Olu who frowned at the unlawful return of the traders under Apongbon bridge said the enforcement team would be deployed to the bridge after the three days ultimatum issued.

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The flurry of activities lately by this administration signalling their intention to complete the Lagos Blue Line Light Rail System stimulated the writer’s interest to investigate and assess the level of completion of the project.

Transportation, being the first and major pillar of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s THEMES programme for the development of the state, underscores the need to fast-track the completion of the Blue Line project, which will help in actualising the objective of their programme.

The sum of N153 billion was approved by the State Assembly to complete the scheme which is billed to become operational by year 2021, as announced by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) Managing Director and also confirmed by Governor Sanwoolu. This affirmation gives credence to the fact that the Blue Line will be commissioned within the first term of this administration. This is quite a cheery news and indeed a delight.

There was a ceremony to commemorate the completion of the last pillar of the sea-crossing beam of the first phase of the work. This is a 380-metre-long beam that stretches across the entire length of the path that traverses the Lagos lagoon.

The Blue Line Light Rail evokes a lot of expectations, particularly when it is compared with the transformation witnessed in the Dubai metropolis with the completion of the first phase of Dubai Metro. The Pretoria to Johannesburg Metro Line equally transformed significantly the corridor through which the trains transverse.

The Blue Line Light Rail evokes a lot of expectations, particularly when it is compared with the transformation witnessed in the Dubai metropolis with the completion of the first phase of Dubai Metro.

The 27-kilometre Lagos Blue Line is complemented along its major route with a world-class-designed and executed 10-lane highway between the National Theatre which has one of the major hubs and Okokomaiko at the other end.

At least, four of the elevated stations have been completed and a number of pedestrian and vehicular overhead bridges have equally been constructed along this 27-kilometre stretch to aid easy commuting.

It is expected that with this prestigious and high profile project will translate to improving the ambience of the corridor and attract high profile investments in the real estate and commercial businesses. However, a very disturbing phenomenon observed, which is fast becoming a norm in our construction etiquette, is the lack of maintenance/housekeeping of the construction corridor. The entire corridor is sadly in a disbelieving state. The corridor is riddled with filth, stench and squalor. The roads, which are hardly maintained, are flanked by overgrown weeds, and refuse heaps litter all across the corridor. The rail lines and the built stations are getting dilapidated for lack of use, whilst the nicely built road networks are also experiencing decay.

The question many are asking is: considering the fact that this project is in phases, and since Phases 2 and 3 are fully completed (Mile 2 to National Theatre), could the completed part not be put to use to convey commuters from Mile 2 to the National Theatre? This will bring huge economic returns to the state. Hundreds of thousands of passengers throng these areas on motorcycles and other commercial buses at the moment, and these are people who will gladly use the facilities.

For the Blue Line Rail System to be a success, and considering the fact that it will become operational within a year or two from now, it behoves the government to embark on the following measures immediately:

SANITATION

Attention needs to be given to the sanitary condition of the entire corridor. The corridor should be cleaned up, and be rid of filth and refuse. A beautification exercise should be carried out in terms of soft landscape and trees to adorn the corridor.

HUMAN TRAFFIC CONTROL

This is the time to enforce the control of human traffic and limit pedestrians to the use of the pedestrian bridges provided. Pedestrians who are currently used to crossing indiscriminately at all sections of the railway corridor should be seriously discouraged from doing so.

ENFORCEMENT OF THE RULE OF LAW

It is very disheartening to see vehicles and motorcycles going the wrong way or against traffic with impunity. This needs to be curbed at this time before it becomes a culture.

DISBANDMENT OF MARKETS AND COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES

Lots of informal markets and commercial activities have sprung up on both sides of the corridor, thus distorting the actual plans of the areas. These should be checked now as they encourage increased human movements along the rail lines and at dangerous points.

Here is hoping that all hands will be on deck to complete this scheme and equally begin the Red Line construction so that its economic benefits can be fully realised, whilst at the same time easing the transportation problem in Lagos and launching our dear state into the league of cities with efficient mass transit systems.

COMMERCIAL CENTRES

Studies should be carried out at this time to determine the appropriate model places along the corridor to establish commercial centres. This will give more sanity to the place and improve on vehicular and pedestrian movements.

INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE

A very robust and conscious maintenance regime should be established for the maintenance of all the infrastructure provided. This should include the drains, the rails, the roads, the pedestrian walkways, the street lights, the bus shelters, the train stations and all other components of the scheme.

LANE MARKINGS

The government needs to ensure from the outset that all the lanes on the highways are clearly marked and adequate traffic signs are put in appropriate places. This will ensure orderliness and sanity on our roads.

ADVERTISEMENTS

This is the time for the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) to come in and put a structure to the process of installing billboards and adverts along the corridor. Properly located billboards will add some ambience to this corridor.

REMOVE ALL TRAILERS PARKED ALONG THE CORRIDOR

It is common sight now to see trailers parked along our highways. This should be discouraged henceforth. All trailers parked along the corridor should be removed without delay.

MAKE PHASE 2-3 OPERATIONAL.

It is important to stress at this point the huge economic returns that can be realised if the stretch from Mile 2 to the National Theatre becomes operational. It will stimulate a lot of activities along the axis. The National Theatre, being a major hub, will spring back to life as the presence of large number of commuters will trigger businesses and entertainment activities at this hub. The dilapidations of all the stations will also be stemmed.

Finally, all efforts to complete the stretch from the National Theatre to Marina within the shortest time should be rigorously pursued. Here is hoping that all hands will be on deck to complete this scheme and equally begin the Red Line construction so that its economic benefits can be fully realised, whilst at the same time easing the transportation problem in Lagos and launching our dear state into the league of cities with efficient mass transit systems.

*Onabanjo is the founder of Go-Forte Foundation, an organisation dedicated to the restoration of the environment.

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