Lagos
The Lagos State Government said would construct four vehicular overpasses in ensuring that the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) – Red Line rail project from Oyingbo to Agbado had less interaction with vehicular traffic.
The Managing Director, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Mrs Abimbola Akinajo, said this in a statement on Friday during the public consultation and stakeholder meeting held in Mushin Lagos.
Akinajo said that the three additional pedestrian bridges would also be constructed to hedge pedestrians against exposure to the danger of crossing the rail line.
Akinajo, who was represented at a public consultation and stakeholders meeting by the Director of Rail Transport, Mr Olasunkanmi Okusaga, informed informed the occasion that “Overpasses would be built at Oyingbo, Yaba, Mushin and Ikeja where existing level crosses would be closed.
“These overpasses will also cater to pedestrian traffic while we will construct pedestrian bridges across the rail in three other locations.”
“The state government had been striving hard to have a rail line over the last three decades.
“This is the best opportunity for us to have one running. Lagos is a state with a population of over 21 million.
“We need a transport system that will move the people en-masse. We project that the first phase of the Red Line will move about 750,000 passengers daily.
” That will have significant effect in reducing congestion on our roads,”Akinajo said.
She described the project as one that all Lagos residents and Nigerians would be proud of and therefore, sought the cooperation of the people for a timely and successful completion of the rail project.
Akinajo assured the people that the when operatiional all the residents would improve their travel experience and grant them easy access to transport services, job centres and social facilities.
The LAMATA boss, said that the project was expected to be completed in 24 months, adding that the establishment had solicited residents’ support to take responsibility for its quick completion.
An Environmental and Safety Management consultant, Mr Babatunde Osho, disclosed that enumerators would soon carry out enumeration of project affected persons.
Osho,who explained that both house owners and tenants would be compensated, urged stakeholders to cooperate with the Lagos State Government and to working for it to realize the project.
The Chairman of Odi-Olowo Ojuwoye Local Council Development Authority, Mr Rasaq Ajala, represented by the Secretary to the LCDA, Mr Mujeeb Daramola pledged the support of the council to the rail project, assuring that the council would ensure all stakeholders’ buy-in.
