Sincere 9gerian: ** These ugly Lagos BRT buses

on June 12, 2013 at 12:34 am

By Rotimi Fasan


MERE five years separate 2008 from 2013 and that could seem a long time. In the life of a transport system that is meant to cater for millions of commuters weekly if not daily, five years is quite short.

But that is for how long the Bus Rapid Transit has existed in Lagos and it’s already looking like what should be a marathon race is fast turning into a very short sprint given how the management of the BRT system appears to have deteriorated in just five years.

Perhaps long used to very terrible transport system and the regular sight of the BRT buses, Lagosians cannot easily notice the very poor state of many of the buses. I
t, however, takes a visitor to the State or someone who has been away from the city for a while to see the rising problem of the BRT system in Lagos. This was my experience recently after a short absence from Lagos.

The sight of the BRT buses I saw was, to put it mildly, shocking. Yet this couldn’t have been the intention of the Lagos State government when the BRT buses were introduced five years ago.

Many applauded the foresight that gave birth to the system that was in a sense meant to gradually phase out the molue on Lagos roads and bring sanity to mass transportation.

While many may still go around Lagos on the BRT lines I doubt if the experience is now any different from riding in the battered molue that are still to be seen in Lagos. If anything, the deteriorated state of the BRT buses has certainly increased the number of molue-cadre buses in the state even if most of them are now in the blue or red colours of the BRT buses.

When the BRT buses began operation in 2008 Nigerians in Lagos had no doubt that the Fashola administration had found what seemed then a decent way to temporarily address the problem of mass transportation in Lagos. The BRT system could only be a temporary solution in the face of the increasing population of Lagos.

There is no way a government could seriously believe that the provision of thousands of buses could take care of the transportation needs of millions of people that daily commute in and around Lagos. This was the problem the metroline project that has remained a pipe dream in more than three decades was meant to address.

But the politics surrounding the actualisation of this project has proven more potent than the desire of those that should make the dream a reality.

This was the context in which the BRT system looked like a decent but temporary way to take care of the transport needs of Lagos. But the stopgap nature of the BRT measure is now clear in the deplorable state of the entire system which is visible in the rundown look of the majority of the BRT buses.

Five years ago anyone could move around in Lagos in the BRT buses except those who perceive themselves too wealthy to share in any form of mass transit system.

The buses were clean both inside and outside. The seats might look hard but they were decent enough and commuters could expect a ride in one without the aggravation associated with commuting in a molue or danfo. Middle class workers- bankers, teachers, civil servants etc, could be seen in their ties and jackets in these buses.

There were neither itinerant preachers nor food or drug vendors to bother passengers. The buses were not littered with waste or remains of stale foods and snacks nor were 49-sitting and 99-standing people, ‘shuffering-and-smiling’ Fela-style, crammed together like sardines in the buses.

The drivers and conductors were courteous and went about their duty with dignity. Indeed some of the buses were air-conditioned and you could expect a decent ride in relative comfort.

This is a far cry from the dingy BRT buses one sees in Lagos today. The buses look very dirty both inside and outside. The internal walls look grimy and coated in dark colours that are in fact accumulated dirt that has caked over time.

With the constant battles reported between passengers and conductors and/or drivers of the buses and other road users, there is no doubt that area boys, even if only in attitude and mentality, had eased off the touted OND/HND and degree holders that were initially recruited to drive and conduct the buses. The buses are extremely dirty from the outside with many of them parading torn and jagged panels that are a clear danger to the clothes and bodies of passengers and other commuters.

Sincere 9gerian: With the rains around, things can only get and are getting worse for the buses and people who have to use them. The picture of the BRT buses in Lagos today is not in any way inviting. It is an indicting statement of our lack of a culture of maintenance for it could be asked how things could have been allowed to happen this way in just five years.

Is it that the BRT initiative has been an unprofitable proposition all along or the managers and founders have simply succumbed to the Nigerian malaise of irresponsible and criminal neglect of what they perceive to be public property? What is the Lagos State government doing to halt the obvious slide of the BRT system into ignominy? Surely, operators of the iconicmoluemust be looking on in amused silence at the collapse of a system that was touted to replace it.

But millions of Lagosians daily going about their business would want to know how the richest state government in the country proposes to ease their transportation pain.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/06/these-ugly-lagos-brt-buses/

Sincere 9gerian:
So can an APC govt which could not manage a mere bus transport system be trusted with more complex rail transport system? I dont think so

hisblud: Then lets leave it for cargo transportation such as[b] goods and oil [/b]so that all this big trucks that spoil and cause havoc on our road will reduce... and i believe it will be cheaper

Sincere 9gerian: The Lagos State BRT bus transport system is DECAYING. So says the same Vanguard

Sincere 9gerian: ** Nigeria Railway Corporation to receive 200 locomotives by December – Minister

Four new locomotives were inaugurated at the Apapa port.

The Minister of Transport, Idris Umar, on Friday said that the Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC, would receive additional 200 wagons by December to boost transportation in the country.

Mr. Umar said this while flagging-off and inaugurating four new locomotives and two telescopic cranes at the Apapa Port, Lagos.

The Minister, who was represented by Kawu Baraje, the corporation’s Board Chairman, said that the NRC was set to reclaim its lost glory as a catalyst for development in Nigeria.

He said that the corporation would collaborate with the customs and other security agents in order to ensure efficient business activities at the port.
Mr. Baraje, in his remarks, said that the completion of the rehabilitation of the Western line had made it possible for the corporation to introduce freight and passenger trains’ service.

“About one month ago, weekly Lagos-Kano intercity passenger train service was introduced to increase the number of services already provided. Today the corporation is flagging-off a container train service from Lagos to Kaduna and Kano. It is also inaugurating two newly acquired telescopic cranes and four 1800HP locomotive engines,” Mr. Baraje said.

The Managing Director of the corporation, Adeseyi Sijuwade, recalled that container train services in Nigeria were suspended 17 years ago due to poor infrastructure.

Mr. Sijuwade said that the acquisition of the facilities was part of Federal Government’s efforts to sustain the drive to transform the nation’s socio-economic development.

He said that the four locomotives were known as class 23 locomotives in the fleet of locomotives.

“The four new locomotives to be inaugurated are self loaded with on-board computer, double drivers’ panel, and fully air-conditioned cabins. The engine in each of the locomotives is Caterpillar’s 1800 model 3512B engine with capability of a design speed of 100kmph,” Mr. Sijuwade said.

He said that the NRC was now better equipped to deal with emergencies, with the two new 100 tons railway cranes.

In his solidarity speech, Comptroller of Customs at the port, Charles Edike, said that the inauguration of the container traffic train would help to stop the activities of miscreant at the port as well as enhance transaction of goods and services.

“An agent does not have to carry his papers to clear at the police, customs or NAFDAC. Any person can do his classification and business clearance through the portal in the computer. Except there is a mistake that is when the custom or any of the security agencies will look for that person,” Mr. Edike said.

He added that any goods that are prohibited would not be logged into the system because the computer will not allow that.
(NAN)

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/143365-nigeria-railway-corporation-to-receive-200-locomotives-by-december-minister.html

na_joke:
^
[size=16pt]this is the problem I have with you, you luv derailing threads.

Go open another thread and stop this childish behavior of urs[/size]

Bishop Juice:

only a person with ostrich mentality will neglect their own woes and pork-nose on issues remote from them.

Orlando Owoh: In the age of fast train in China, Europe and the Americas; Nigeria is reeling out locomotive trains after billions have been wasted in the sham of reforming the rail sector, and some are here shouting "fresh air." Fresh air ko, air freshner ni. Rubbish!

Sincere 9gerian:
Unfortunately for Nigeria, OBJ, who is now in bed with APC, could not build any in his 8 year rule. Tinubu, who is the leader of APC, ruled Lagos for 8 years but could not build any. Not even the Lagos metro rail, started by Jakande in the 80s, was touched by Tinubu.

However, GEJ is already building a brand new Abuja-Kaduna fast railway. It is over 70% completed in just 3 years.

atlwireles:

I like the way you shut these noise makers up all the time.

Horus:

A train in Japan capable of traveling at speeds over 310 mph!



A locomotive in Nigeria for the rail "revitalization" project of the clueless administration

See the difference on the two pictures. Anyone who want to use this locomotive as part of a "Revitalization" project need to have his brain scanned urgently

Sincere 9gerian:
Thanks bruv..
That is what I ENJOY doing. Those guys represent everything that is EVIL. For over 4 decades, they and their cronies supervised the destruction and dilapidation of Nigeria. But they wont allow a president, who is working and can only be in office for a maximum of 8 years, any breathing space to work.

Sincere 9gerian:
Unfortunately for Nigeria, OBJ, who is now in bed with APC, could not build any in his 8 year rule. Tinubu, who is the leader of APC, ruled Lagos for 8 years but could not build any. Not even the Lagos metro rail, started by Jakande in the 80s, was touched by Tinubu.

However, GEJ is already building a brand new Abuja-Kaduna fast railway. It is over 70% completed in just 3 years.

Sincere 9gerian:
This is part of the problem. But govt has to continue the subsidy until it is concessioned to the private sector. With the private sector, passengers will definitely have to pay more. But if paying more will guarantee better services, I'm sure passengers wouldn't mind.

ilugunboy:

So...people die only by accident?

ilugunboy: Only a person with death-wish will contemplate a train ride in Nigeria from Lagos-Kano.

ilugunboy: Only a person with death-wish will contemplate a train ride in Nigeria from Lagos-Kano.

hardywaltz: When people talk about the trains running again with joy. I look @ them with pity coz I doubt if they know what a train in modern world is.
GEJ just succeed in wasting a golden opportunity of totally revamping the rail sector and moving us to 21century rail transportation like the rest of the world rather than rehabilitating what the British constructed close to a 100years ago when time and speed was not an issue.
The Zaria - Funtua - Kuara - Kuara Namoda 221km western rail line which I was involved in, I was so pissed that so much billions was been spent to rehabilitate a rail line where the Locomotive that will run on it will only be able to achieve 35km/h max speed (for it to achieve the said 35km/h the train needs to run on a straight course for @ least 10mins which is not usually possible); so for a 221km journey on train will take about 10-12hrs including stops @ Funtua and Gusua stations.
What really broke my heart was when I found out that we couldn't even procure brand new locomotives to run on the line from any where in world so we had to open up talks with a company in Lithonia (or something like that) that had recently over hauled their transportation system and was willing to sell their scrapped locomotive to us (I wonder how they will view Nigeria - the giANT of Africa).
The reason I dislike our politician and the praise singers is that they don't ever think or see far ahead. GEJ is only wasting this billions for a few weeks of applause rather than implement a comprehensive blue print that will make the rail transportation comparable to air or land transportation.
I know Jonathenains are easily impressed by any thing they see so to them I know this is large scale development.