The Marina to Mile 2 Blue Line of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT), is to begin commercial operations in August, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has said.
LAMATA Managing Director, Mrs. Abimbola Akinajo, while speaking at the first LAMATA/Business Investors’ Forum in Lagos, said: “I am happy to inform you that we are rounding off all testing processes, and are prepared for full passenger operation on the Blue Rail in August. Details of the operations will be announced soon.
“The first phase of LRMT Red Line (Agbado to Oyingbo) is also nearing completion, and we intend to begin testing and passenger operations around August.”
The Blue Line inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari on January 24, began test operations on February 9, with residents enjoying the ride from the Marina Mega Interchange to Mile 2 and back, a journey of less than 25 minutes both ways.
Mrs. Akinajo added that the forum was held to alert the business community to the opportunities inherent in using the state’s transport infrastructure for the prosperity of their businesses, and for the government to earn income that would enable it strengthen the existing transport infrastructure and provide more.
She said investors had a wide range of opportunities, especially in the area of branding and out-of-home advertising.
According to her, opportunities exist for investors in bus and rail advertising, as well as in branding or advertising on fixed assets, such as pedestrian bridges, bus shelters, bus terminals and interchanges.
Technical Adviser (Corporate and Investment Planning) of LAMATA, Engr. Osa Konyeha, said the government was seeking investors in the development of the Abul-Egba/Sango/Tollgate Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor, a 7.6-kilometre bus route, with a daily projected ridership of over 63,000 passengers.
Also available is the Oworonsoki/Apapa BRT axis, a 28-kilometre route with a projected daily ridership of about 430,000 passengers.
He added that the government was ready to partner with investors in the refurbishment of the 300 buses that are currently non-operational, and de-carbonization of existing fleet and transition to cleaner energy.
In rail transportation, the government is seeking partnership in the management of advertising and Out-of-Homes (OOH) concessions within the stations, construction and management of multi-level car parks, skywalk bridges at Ikeja and Marina, while also looking forward for concessionaires for the Green and Purple lines which have a combined distance of 133 kilometres.
Investors would also have opportunity to bid for the upgrade of bus shelters, rehabilitation/construction of the Oyingbo Bus Terminal, construction of Ikorodu and Maryland Terminals and transport interchange facilities at Iju, Mushin, Ajah, Agege, LASU-Iba as well as Megabus terminals at Ojodu Berger, Odogunyan, Sango-Ota, Epe and Agbara.
