According to the Lagos State Government, the state’s Bus Reform Initiative is prepared to incorporate the Korope and Danfo tiny and midi buses that run along the Lekki-Ajah axis.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, revealed this on Wednesday at a meeting with pertinent stakeholders in Alausa, according to a statement released on Thursday by Bolanle Ogunlola, Director of Public Affairs, Ministry of Transportation.
He clarified that the project is now in the planning stage and will start as soon as all the arrangements are made.
The documentation procedure for bus operators interested in the plan is still proceeding, according to Giwa, who reviewed the progress made thus far. Of the ten operators that have filed letters of intent to the Ministry of Transportation, six have already been confirmed.
He added that the Motor Vehicle Administration Agency (MVAA) and Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) will physically verify all participating buses to make sure they are roadworthy and have the required paperwork. Following verification, the buses will be outfitted with validators and branded in the colors of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).
Giwa stated that in addition to tackling the actions of criminals who extort transporters along the axis, a framework is being established to incorporate union dues deductions into the e-ticketing system.
He emphasized that before the program is fully implemented, it will be tested for three months. He stated that after the program is put into place, minibuses (korope) will be sent to inner routes and communities instead of being permitted to travel along the Lekki-Ajah expressway.
Directors from the Ministry of Transport, representatives from LAMATA, LASDRI, and VIS, as well as Mr. Rasheed Muri-Okunola, the Permanent Secretary of MVAA, and Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, the General Manager of LASTMA, were among those in attendance.