WAITING FOR THE RED LINE

 The Ikeja flyover will further ease traffic in the Lagos metropolis, writes James Agbekorede

Slowly, the building blocks of the Red Line of the Lagos Metro are falling into place. Last week, Kwara State governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’  Forum (NGF), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, had the honour of inaugurating the 620m Ikeja Flyover which runs above the rail tracks hosting the Red Line of the Lagos Metro at Ikeja. The bridge is the latest in overhead passes across the red line route of the Lagos Metro system. Handled by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), the Ikeja Flyover was one of the T-shape overpasses planned to eliminate pedestrian and vehicular interference on the tracks.

  What I particularly love about the Ikeja flyover is the imagination which went into conceptualising and building it. With its design, traffic from Obafemi Awolowo Way pours into the Lagos Abeokuta Expressway at Ikeja while the bridge also allows in vehicles exiting the Lagos Abeokuta Expressway into Awolowo Way in Ikeja. Hitherto, it was a level railway crossing leading into residential streets that vehicles passed. But congestion was rife as that portion of Ikeja and indeed Lagos had grown in population beyond that infrastructure. Till the railway crossing was finally blocked sometime last year, it represented chaos as vehicles crammed the narrow streets. It was also a scene of some train crashing into vehicles and killing people. But this bridge has eliminated that scare. 

Also, the creation of the bridge has eased the traffic congestion characteristic of adjoining Oba Akran Avenue. For months after the railway crossing at the tip of Balogun Street, Anifowoshe Area, was closed, passing through Oba Akran Avenue leading towards Agege and Ogba, especially after the close of work was a bumper-to-bumper ride. But like magic, motorists who used that road only as a diversion found a better route via the Ikeja flyover. The flyover has indeed eased the traffic situation around Ikeja. It was a similar experience regarding vehicular traffic at the completion of the Yaba Flyover and Oyingbo Flyover. The Mushin Flyover is expected to be finished by February 2024 and hopefully, it would also yield a good story, traffic-wise. Though Lagosians bore the pains of difficult movement during the construction of the bridges, now, many are full of smiles and enjoy the relief the bridges have brought. All’s well that ends well.

While it was about 40 years ago that the dream of a Lagos metro was truncated by the then military administration of General Muhammadu Buhari, it is still nice that the reality is now the case. Abdulrazaq captured this mood when he noted that the project alluded to the saying that “development is a process, and not a destination.”

According to the Kwara State governor, Lagos is an ideal model for other states in the country to emulate. 

“Lagos has been a beneficiary of a bold and progressive vision built around people’s welfare,” Abdulrazaq said. 

“Particularly worthy of note is policy consistency and progression in governance. Successive administrations in Lagos have built on one another’s successes and projects that strengthen the State’s economic growth.

“This is adding to the legacy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I believe Lagos’ example is worth emulating around the country for faster socio-economic growth, regardless of political affiliation and individual differences. Development agenda should be people-focused as it is being done in Lagos.”

Also speaking at the inauguration, the Lagos State governor and host of the event, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, reiterated his administration’s commitment to improving the transportation situation in Lagos, the most densely populated Nigerian state.

“When we came on board, we gave our words on the implementation of two rail lines, which are the LRMT Blue and Red lines,” said Sanwo-Olu. 

“In the last four and a half years of our administration, we have prioritised the implementation of an integrated transportation system under the Traffic Management and Transportation pillar of our THEMES+ Agenda.

“We have delivered life-enhancing transport infrastructure which is making life easier for the average Lagosian. The first phase of the Blue Line is already in operation, giving a lot of relief to those using its corridor of operations. The flyover infrastructure we are commissioning today is one of the five overpass bridges we planned for the Red Line alignment, which is a precursor to the commencement of passenger operations.”

The 37km Red Line from Agbado to Oyingbo has eight stations at Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba and Oyingbo. But most importantly is the fact that the Red Line would commence operation soon, solidifying a new era of public transportation in Lagos as the Blue Line is currently in operation. In fact, Governor Sanwo-Olu said that by the first quarter of 2024, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would inaugurate the Red Line which would see about 500, 000 passengers ride the train daily. 

Aside from the flyover for the rail tracks, it is noteworthy that the Opebi Link Road too is nearing completion. On the bridge across the Odo Iya Alaro, one can see the bridge snaking out from Opebi across the swamp, offering a way, a balm, for motorists that hitherto was non-existent. The bridge promises to eliminate the traffic snarl that axis was notorious for. Surely, motorists who ply that axis would be looking forward to its completion.

 It was also nice hearing Sanwo-Olu’s plans of introducing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses in the state as a means of ameliorating the increased fares occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal. He said that in the new year, Lagos would roll out 50 electric buses for passenger operations in a pilot phase. And in the first quarter of 2024, the state would take delivery of additional 100 units of CNG-buses from the federal government to be deployed on defined routes and promised to raise the fleet to about 1,000 buses before the end of 2024.

“We remain committed to delivering a transport system that is safe, sustainable, integrated, seamless and with the potential to drive the socio-economic growth and development of Lagos and the country,” Sanwo-Olu said.

These investments in transportation are surely commendable giving that governance is about taking care of everything even when resources are limited. Hence, in prioritising which sector gets what, the government performs a balancing act in order to get the optimum utility and satisfaction of citizens. The Sanwo-Olu-led administration has surely not disappointed in this aspect of transportation while not neglecting other sectors.

As residents of Lagos, the responsibility lies with us to protect these infrastructure as we enjoy them and further cooperate with the state by being responsible citizens. This is in line with what the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, advised at the event, asking motorists and commuters to adhere strictly to safety rules when using the flyover and warning that hawking and selling on and under the bridge were prohibited.

“It is our collective responsibility to ensure that Lagosians experience a transit system that not only enhances connectivity but also promotes a safe environment,” Osiyemi said. Lagos can get better faster with the cooperation of all Lagosians.

Agbekorede writes from Lagos