The former Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, towards the end of his tenure in May 2019, launched the new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) at the newly constructed Oshodi Bus Terminal with the intention of making transport system in the state an enjoyable and convenient experience. The commissioning of the bus terminal project and the new buses was done same day by President Muhammadu Buhari with eminent personalities in attendance at the event. The bus terminal which many saw as uncompleted project at the time it was launched has since commenced operations though site engineers can still be seen putting finishing touches to the construction.

The buses were assigned different routes from their base in Oshodi, such as Berger, Ikeja, TBS, CMS etc with thousands of Lagosians making use of the buses on daily bases. People can be seen as early as 5.30am already on queue waiting for the buses to come out and start conveying them to their various work places.

However, the saddening news is that operators of these buses sometimes overload the buses especially in the evening when there are huge number of passengers returning home, waiting to board. After the seats in the bus have been filled up, the bus coordinators offer that passengers that would not mind standing should enter. Sometimes a designated queue can be formed for those that will stand in the bus after paying same fare as those sitting in the bus.

Overloading the buses will not only get the buses depreciated quickly which could make it become obsolete sooner than expected, but also passengers safety will not be totally guaranteed in case of emergency, the fuel consumption of the bus will increase due to extra load, the comfortability the buses are designed to give (such as space, air conditioner, TV, charging ports etc) will not be enjoyed, the unique transport system which the buses are intended for will also be defeated. Moreover, drivers of the buses will be prone to distraction, intimidation or harassment from passengers due to disorderliness.

The buses will be more effective, well maintained and better operated if more buses are procured by the new administration to ease the transport pressure on the available ones and to reach more areas. Also, BRT lanes should be well regulated to ensure hitch-free movement, time of operation of the buses can be extended to serve more people, the drivers should be on shift duty to avoid fatigue and strict discipline and orderliness should be enforced in all the boarding points. More importantly, the government should do more in traffic management to bring traffic congestion to the bearest minimum for the good of both motorists and passengers in general while also exploring other channels of transportation like the rail and waterways, for possible solution to traffic problem in Lagos.

It is obvious the former Governor had good intentions for the State but his strategies of actualizing the intentions were faulty and his high-handedness in some aspects coupled with his tussle with the powers that be, all eventually led to his exit from office. It is now pertinent for the new Governor, Mr. Jide Sanwo-Olu, to consolidate on the achievements of the past administration and see that the good works left behind by his predecessor do not suffer set back as he also comes up with his initiatives to move the state forward.

We are our own problem, if everyone decides to get a seat, the coordinators won't have anyone standing.

Moreso, government should procure more buses, what is just wrong in getting to terminal and one finds at least 3 buses heading to same route awaiting passengers

This country, last last na to move if we no make an work!

this is just the beginning