A new transportation infrastructure has been delivered in Yaba – a melting pot of commerce, technology and academic in Lagos State. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu revived and accelerated the completion of the Yaba Bus Terminal, four years after the project was conceived.
The terminal was, on Tuesday, commissioned by the Governor amid excitement by traders, commuters and transporters who thronged the venue for the formal opening of the facility.
The bus station, built by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), is an ancillary infrastructure that will complement the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Red Line currently being constructed by the Sanwo-Olu administration along Yaba corridor.
The terminal will connect to the Red Metro station to facilitate an integrated mass transit and seamless connectivity among all means of land transportation.
The project, which dragged for years due to funding issues under the previous administration, is part of the Bus Reform Initiative of the State Government.
While inaugurating the terminal, Sanwo-Olu observed that the delivery of the infrastructure became a priority for his Government to boost the efficiency of public transportation service on the axis.
The Governor said the complementary rail line would be ready in the next 18 months and this would give commuters options to choose the transportation mode they would prefer to get to their destinations.
He said: “Yaba corridor is prominent feature in the Lagos State Transportation Master Plan, because of its peculiar nature as a melting pot of commercial, technological and academic activities. The city’s evolution over the years places enormous responsibility on the Government to ensure that its dynamism and growth are sustained through balanced development.
“The facility being commissioned today is a world-class terminal from which buses will originate and terminate. In the next 18 months, this bus terminal will be integrated with the Yaba station of the Red Metro Line that is being constructed close to the terminal. The Yaba Bus Terminal reflects our vision for regulated bus services, which the State Government currently champions through Traffic Management and Transportation pillar of our T.H.E.M.E.S agenda.”
The Governor said transportation services in the corridor would be supported by the recently launched First and Last Mile (FLM) Bus – a community-based transportation scheme that will take passengers from the inner routes to the major transit corridors to join either the rail or BRT buses to their destinations.
Sanwo-Olu noted that his administration, in the last two years, had been working to deliver transportation infrastructure that supports the State economy.
He urged residents to take ownership of the project and protect the bus station from vandalism.
He said: “All projects being delivered by the Government are being provided for public good. It is our collective responsibility to protect these assets. If anyone notices any abnormality, do not hesitate to say something about it. It is our civic duty to report wrongdoing and the destruction of public infrastructure to the security agencies and Government officials for prompt action.”
Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladehinde, noted that the Yaba Bus Station was the third to be delivered by the Governor, disclosing that three new terminals in Ojota, Ajah and Ifako-Ijaiye would be added to public transportation assets before the end of the year.
“We are providing bus services into communities that are far away from the main transit corridors to cushion the effects of restrictions of the operations of commercial motorcycles and tricycles in areas where they are banned by the Government,” Oladehinde said.
LAMATA Managing Director, Mrs. Abimbola Akinajo, hailed Sanwo-Olu for his commitment and priority accorded to the completion of the project, which, she said, would provide modal choices residents traversing the corridor.
The Yaba Bus Terminal, Akinajo said, has loading and off-loading bay for up to 15 midi and four high-capacity buses per loading time, and a stable for 20 high-capacity buses.
“The white Teflon covering being a waterproof fabric gives the terminal a unique look,” she said.
In the terminal’s administrative building are control room, ticketing and sitting area, restaurant with kitchenette, commercial stores, passenger information display board, ATM point and sit-out area.
The operation routes of the bus terminal include Lawanson-Itire Ijesha-Cele, Iyana-Ipaja, Berger, Ikeja, Akoka and Oyingbo.