Passengers travelling on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) buses alongside Ikorodu Road in Lagos spent hours in traffic on Friday and Saturday as non-public and business automobiles used the lanes reserved for the buses.
Some passengers who had waited in queues on the terminals earlier than boarding discovered themselves caught in traffic for hours, defeating the aim of utilizing the BRT service to keep away from congestion.
This reporter boarded a BRT bus on the Ikorodu terminal at about 11 a.m. on Friday, heading in the direction of Fadeyi, however the bus didn’t attain Palmgrove till about 2 p.m.
PREMIUM TIMES noticed heavy traffic from Agric by way of Owode, Ogolonto and M12 in the direction of Ketu, with non-public and business automobiles occupying the BRT hall and impeding the motion of buses.
Some passengers who boarded buses on the Ikorodu terminal at about 10:15 a.m. had been nonetheless round Ogolonto by 11:24 a.m.
The state of affairs was worse on Saturday, when each lanes serving inward and outward traffic alongside the Ikorodu hall had been closely congested, leaving BRT buses unable to maneuver freely.
PREMIUM TIMES additionally noticed cops hooked up to the Owutu Police Division helping non-public motorists searching for entry to the BRT lane.
No LASTMA officers had been seen imposing the restrictions on the usage of the dedicated lane throughout the interval noticed.
The BRT hall is supposed to offer public transport buses precedence over different automobiles and scale back journey time for commuters. However, the unauthorised use of the lane appeared to have undermined that objective throughout the two days.
In a current assertion, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) reiterated that the lane was reserved for designated BRT buses and different automobiles authorised by the company.
The assertion, issued by LAMATA’s Head of Corporate Communication, Kolawole Ojelabi, recognized non-public automobiles, some navy and paramilitary automobiles, and native authorities buses amongst these not permitted to make use of the hall.
“The only exceptions to this rule are emergency response vehicles such as fire trucks and ambulances, and only when responding to emergencies,” the company mentioned.
LAMATA mentioned the unauthorised use of the lane disrupted bus operations, contributed to traffic congestion and endangered passengers and different street customers.
The company warned that the rules remained in drive and that offenders might be apprehended and prosecuted beneath Lagos traffic legal guidelines, no matter their standing or affiliation.
It mentioned penalties may embody fines, automobile impoundment and different authorized sanctions.
LAMATA urged motorists, safety businesses and authorities our bodies to adjust to the principles governing the BRT hall.
READ ALSO: Lagos govt threatens to seal illegal boreholes, prosecute operators
Mr Ojelabi advised PREMIUM TIMES through textual content message that the rules governing the BRT lane clearly specified the automobiles permitted to make use of it.
He mentioned an enforcement squad beneath the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation had been deployed to make sure compliance.
“We are working with traditional rulers and law enforcement agencies to ensure compliance, and the media to appeal to road users to obey the law,” Mr Ojelabi added.
The BRT lane is a dedicated roadway or traffic lane reserved completely for high-capacity public buses, permitting them to bypass common traffic congestion. The buses are run beneath a public non-public partnership between the Lagos State Government and franchise operators.
The first BRT system and lane in Lagos was formally launched and opened on 17 March 2008.
Discover extra from Premium Times Nigeria
Subscribe to get the most recent posts despatched to your e-mail.
