“It is work in progress, it is not finished yet but so far so good”, he says

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Thursday undertook an inspection tour of the on-going construction of the Light Rail Mass Transit (Blue Line) and retrofitting of ferries at the Mile 2 Jetty, expressing satisfaction that although there has been some delay, there has also been significant progress in the projects.


The areas inspected by the Governor included the National Theatre Terminus and interchange for buses and Park and Ride, the four-kilometre of tracks being laid from Orile to Mile 2, Mile 2 Terminal and Works Yard for the Lagos – Badagry Expressway project.


The Governor also visited the Mile 2 Jetty Terminus where he inspected retrofitting work being carried out on five 80 – seater Aluminum ferries to be deployed for subsidized water transportation by the Lagos Ferry Services Company.


Fielding questions from newsmen after the inspection, Governor Fashola said in spite of the delay, substantial progress has been made especially on the terminals at Costain and Mile 2 which, according to him, were just concrete the last time he visited but are now advancing rapidly to finished work.


The Governor, who said the contractors attributed the delay to adverse weather, noted, “When we came here earlier this year, I was told that the section from Costain, Iganmu to Mile 2 would be completed by the end of July. I filed that in my head and I decided yesterday was end of July and I should come and see the progress here. Some progress has been made clearly”.


“You can see the rail project has advanced. They have covered more track lanes, about four kilometres of track has been laid. About eight kilometres have been logged preparatory for more track lanes”, the Governor said adding, “You could see people at work, welding, casting and we also visited the works yard for the Badagry Expressway where we have about seven kilometres of concrete beams for drainage already precast and ready to go once the sand-filling and the preparation is done”.


He further disclosed, “The section of the rail from Costain to Marina now is under consideration for award; that is another five kilometres, if you add that to the one from Mile 2 to Costain, that is eight kilometres. If you add that together that is 13 kilometres of rail road”, he said.


Governor Fashola, who was conducted round the project by the Blue Line Light Rail Project Manager, Mr. Li Bing, further disclosed that the contractors would start asphalting the Mile 2 bound section of the Lagos - Badagry Expressway, from FESTAC Gate to Trade Fair, by the end of August while the same work on the Trade Fair bound section, from Mile 2 to Trade fair, would commence by September.


Describing the project as a transport as well as an economic solution, Governor Fashola declared, “And you see thousands of Nigerians working on those sites; so for us it is a transport solution and also an economic solution, a job creation solution. So many things are involved there”.


Commenting on the progress of work at the Mile 2 Jetty, Governor Fashola, who recalled that during his earlier visit to the Jetty, there were several dilapidated and abandoned boats sunk in water, said five of the boats have been lifted out of the water for retrofitting and three have had advanced retrofitting work while the other two were being cleaned.


“The engines are on their way so we are on course. I think about two or three of them should be ready to start operations by the end of this year and the last three should be ready by the first quarter of next year with our Lagos Ferry Service”, the Governor said, explaining further that the Lagos State Ferry Service Company would be fully owned by the Government “to work and subsidize ferry service for middle level and poor commuters, somewhat different from what the private operators, whom we are also licensing, would be providing”.


According to him, “We are expecting more private operators to bring in more ferries; we have granted more licenses, I think we have about 59 operators and 110 ferries on the waterways. We are expecting some ramp up gradually. You remember about three years ago we started with just about six ferries now we have about 109 ferries. The ridership has also increased to about 1.8 million per month”.


He explained that one of the boats, a flat pontoon just imported from Europe, would be ferrying vehicles alone across the waters for car owners who do not wish to drive adding that a second one was being awaited.


“Each of them can carry eight vehicles. That is the first one that has been delivered; we are waiting for the second one which is being shipped from Europe. It will also give choice to people who don’t want to drive; they just put their vehicles on the pontoon and ferry them across to their next destination”, the Governor said adding that the jetties were being designed to allow the roll-on roll-off type facilities to enable such people to just drive in at the entry point and drive-off at the exit point.


On the seeming uncontrolled commercial activities on the Mile 2 section of the Lagos Badagry Expressway, Governor Fashola said it was one of the problems of urban renewal pointing out that people should not be prevented from earning their living legitimately just because Government was undertaking urban renewal.


“The problem of urban renewal includes that people have to be managed. Life cannot stop because we want to do urban renewal. People also have to survive. Those people are earning a living in a legitimate way, so we respect that so long as they do it while respecting that commuters also have to move”, the Governor said.


He, however, explained that all the rail stations have shops in them adding, “It is when all of this has been put in place that all of the trading in the fullness of time will leave the road and we will be on to a much more orderly and much more organized society and economy”.


“The problem is as a result of what we are doing at the same time. In terms of transportation, we are implementing about five major solutions at the same time. It is not easy. It has been possible so far with the cooperation of the people who have continued to trust, who have continued to sacrifice, who have continued to contribute. I do not know any city in the world today that are operating five major transport solutions simultaneously, I don’t know any”, Governor Fashola said.


Thanking all public servants, the contractors and all Lagosians for dedication to work and cooperation, Governor Fashola, who named the projects to include the Badagry-Mile 2 expansion, the Mile 12-Ikorodu expansion, the Lekki-Epe Expressway expansion, the ferry terminals and the rail project added, “I don’t know of any city that is doing that at the same time”.


“So, I must thank all of the public servants and the contractors who, in spite of the large population of people having to be moved, adjusted, working at night; it has really been a very exciting journey so far. I remember the Lekki-Epe Expressway when we started and the traffic gridlock. But the pain is easing off gradually. So it is work in progress, so far so good but it is not finished yet”, the Governor said.


Accompanying on the inspection tour were the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, his Physical Planning and Urban Development counterpart, TPL Olutoyin Ayinde, Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure, Engineer Ganiyu Johnson, Special Adviser on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and recently nominated Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Ayo Gbeleyi, Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, Managing Director Lagos State Waterways, Mr. Yinka Marinho, Managing Director, Lagos State Ferry Sevice Company, Mr. Babatunde Williams, among other top government functionaries.
HAKEEM BELLO


http://www.lagosstate.gov.ng/news2.php?k=2871

I am really impressed by Fashola's level of dedication in ensuring these projects are completed.

However we need more from you Mr. Fash, especially in the area of indiscipline, if we are to have saner transportation times ahead.

The indiscipline in Lagos is just too much and we need to start curbing that. Even on the lekki expressway, one of the best roads in Lagos, you still have almost everyone driving like a maniac.

Nobody respects their lanes, some people even drive on the lanes. During traffic, the road turns from a 3 lane road to a 5 lane road because of these maniac Nigerians.

I see accidents on a monthly basis on that road, mostly at the roundabouts, were these maniac Nigerians mostly get confused and start swerving into the lanes of sane Nigerians.

Danfos seem to constitute the most headaches with their brazen disregard for any other vehicle on the road, and just like dying men with nothing to lose, they wield their dying vehicles with the same attitude.

Governor Fash, I see no reason why this impunity on the roads should continue, please empower LASMA with the technology, bikes/cars and the right personnel to curb this driving insanity.

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Fashola.
awa Lehin e bi iroko.
Won ti po to
Ki won lo po si wa.

But on a serous note,
Should this tiny island be carrying the weight of the country?
Money which ought to be spent on the welfare of the indigens has to be spent on repairs and maintenance.
Even at that ,top man fashola is still besting everybody on the continent of Africa with his world class administrative skills
Where are the other places.
Even PH attempted this and almost collapsed until amaechi came in to salvage the situation.
The other day,a poor woman from delta was crying at alausa that she was told to migrate to the SW because the yoruba people and government there are accommodating and generous.
This business of leadership and people from other places not taking responsibility for their actions must stop .

Biafrans have been begging FG to build the 2nd Niger bridge for several years while Lagos Governor is performing miracles. In the last 2-3 years, 2 bridges has been commissioned for use and the light rail project is yet another miracle. The length of the Niger bridge is less than the length of the just commissioned Ikoyi-Lekki link bridge. Yet, five SE governors and six SS governors cannot build 2nd Niger bridge at least so that they will have easy movement to come and "develop Lagos". Very soon Biafrans will repeat "we own Lagos", "we developed Lagos". If I hear wen ... you go hear gbosa.

And who be that badbelle wey say Gov.Fashola is not working Go hug transformer!

How I wish this man becomes Nigeria's President someday under a different platform from APC or AC. I don't like that Tinubu around him.

Truly work is going on at the site, i pass via there anytime am going work but the issue is will this project be deliver before Fashola ends its tenure (2015).......................................Time will tell

One of the ferry franchisees, Fiki, is building more jetties at Law School, Victoria Island. I can't wait for that to be completed.

I'm also excited by the fact that they are about to award the stretch from Costain to Marina. That will include the Lagoon Bridge, another cable stayed bridge.

naptu2: The National Theatre Terminus which will serve as interchange for buses and Parks and Ride for the Light Rail users during Governor Fashola’s inspection tour to the Station at Orile-Iganmu, Lagos, on Thursday, August 1, 2013.

[img]http://img1.nairaland.com/attachments/1231969_602476_604187642935839_648177820_n_jpgf5608a1fab6251246d20de6d22435fa1[/img]

naptu2: The National Theatre Terminus which will serve as interchange for buses and Parks and Ride for the Light Rail users at Orile Iganmu, Lagos, on Thursday, August 1, 2013. INSET: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN (middle), Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa (right), Managing Director, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Dr Dayo Mobereola (2nd right) and the Project Manager, Blueline Lagos Light Rail Mass Transit, Mr. Li Bing (2nd left).

[img]http://img1.nairaland.com/attachments/1231982_1009916_604190396268897_2066438980_n_jpg353c293de0c8d314b4da56fb4db694f5[/img]

The current most popular leaders in the world: 1. Barrack Obama. 2. David Camerun. 3. Babatunde Raji Fhasola. Oya........Go kill urself.

Impressive!

dridowu: Truly work is going on at the site, i pass via there anytime am going work but the issue is will this project be deliver before Fashola ends its tenure (2015).......................................Time will tell

When I wake up in the morning, I say a prayer that the Blue Line should be completed before Fashola leaves office. Lamata has proposed 7 lines and I believe that there's hope that the other lines will be built if Fashola completes the Blue Line before leaving office.

Even if it's not complete, I want them to at least get to Marina. That would be a great achievement.

Good..... Love this

Abeg my governor....please slow down on this development....this is what some people are seeing and saying that it's either they are Igbo-Lagosians or they die...

Can someone tell me what the Governors in Southeast have been doing in the last 8 years compare to what Fashola and other SW governors doing? I don't see people from SE posting any pictures of developments going on in the East. Only AC governors are delivering dividends of democracy to their people in the south.

The greatest governor ever liveth! This is the Yoruba ingenuity, later those that can't sweep their states will come to tell you how they developed Lagos.

[quote author=eye4eye]Can someone tell me what the Governors in Southeast have been doing in the last 8 years compare to what Fashola and other SW governors doing? I don't see people from SE posting any pictures of developments going on in the East. Only AC governors are delivering dividends of democracy to their people in the south.[/qu



they are on vacation in dubai ..celebrating birthday and so on ...awon ode , while thier citizens in diaspora face racism daily called bongo bongo land homo sapien

eye4eye:
Can someone tell me what the Governors in Southeast have been doing in the last 8 years compare to what Fashola and other SW governors doing? I don't see people from SE posting any pictures of developments going on in the East. Only AC governors are delivering dividends of democracy to their people in the south.

See how propaganda can destroy the brain?
I guess this dimwit only judges performance by the trash he sees on Nairaland.
In the end, I wonder where all this lovely 'performance' has led you to. From the most indebted and least sustainable states to the highest incidence of dull students in the South.
This is what happens when a person is too lazy to read beyond the happenings in his enclave.

By the way, how far the light rail?

MCMLXXVI:


See how propaganda can destroy the brain?
I guess this dimwit only judges performance by the trash he sees on Nairaland.
In the end, I wonder where all this lovely 'performance' has led you to. From the most indebted and least sustainable states to the highest incidence of dull students in the South.
This is what happens when a person is too lazy to read beyond the happenings in his enclave.

By the way, how far the light rail?

My dear brother may you live long for being a wiseman.....in fact you really made my day. Fashola is working my foot.....lies and propaganda of the deepest dye.