I read with disgust and utter disappointment in Gov Fashola a newspaper report in far away Canada. How on earth could he order scraps as trains for lagosians use. Rather crazy. Read and comment please.

http://www.nowtoronto.com/mobile/#story.cfm?c=182186

He wanted to order the antique train for an economy where they belong;
Economy of backwardness.

The leaders cannot see the latest model that are used to shuttle in
Canada, USA, China and many other places around the globe.

Did he walked to Canada? Let him buy planes that are meant
for scraps too. God will have mercy.

$1500 per train. $390000 should have been paid to the Canadian company but I'm sure the figures would be in the tens of millions.
Hmm. This looks bad though

^^ The article there tells you that TCC made good profits(they were sold at more than scrap price) from the sales of those 30 year old tokunbos.

Kobojunkie:

^^ The article there tells you that TCC made good profits(they were sold at more than scrap price) from the sales of those 30 year old tokunbos.

Is that a good business deal by our govt? It smells fishy if this article is true.

@ OP, how many of this thread do you have to open

I think there's one already

The Lagos deal would be the first of its kind for the TTC. Decommissioned cars are usually sold for scrap metal and can fetch up to $1,500 dollar each. While Ross declined to discuss specific figures, he says the sticker price for Lagos is “significantly more” than scrap prices, putting the potential profits to the TTC in the millions of dollars.

It is not unusual for technology from western nations to end up in poorer countries. Marketplaces in Africa and Asia are flooded with North American clothes, computers, and even cars, but the purchase of larger technology like trains is rarer.

The cars will have to be significantly refurbished to fit existing infrastructure in Lagos, and some Nigerian media reports have lamented that the government appears to have settled on “tokundo,” or used, trains instead of brand new vehicles.

Although half the cars are more than 30 years old, Ross is adamant they are perfectly safe and are only being decommissioned for capacity reasons. But he also admitted the TTC is not required to make sure the cars meet any safety standards before selling them.

“Once sold, it’s up to the new operator to ensure they are in good working order,” he said. “They do need to be maintained much more frequently than the new trains, simply because of their age. At some point they will run out their useful life.”

Murtaza Haider, director of the Institute of Housing and Mobility at Ryerson University, said the age of the cars is definitely a cause for concern.

“We should be ensuring that there is some service life left in these vehicles and we’re not going to be playing havoc with the lives of those who would ride these vehicles,” Haider said. “There’s metal fatigue, and that metal fatigue could result in dangerous conditions. I would be paying a close watch on this for the next ten years to see how many accidents do happen in Lagos.

If Fashola must buy used train cars, must they be as old as 30 years? How many useful life do they have left? It looks like he is not building this project to last.

Now I see the logic behind the award of the Lekki-Epe express road to an incompetent and equally inexperienced Hitech coy. There's sure no limit to how far Fashola and boss, Tinubu can go. Imagine a project of such magnitude being awarded single sourced to a company with rpofile as below:

http://www.hitechconstructioncompany.com/

Only in Nigeria. Five years gone and still no completion sign in sight, rathter than penalty, they get rewarded.

pluto04:

If Fashola must buy used train cars, must they be as old as 30 years? How many useful life do they have left? It looks like he is not building this project to last.

1. The company handling the project sourced the trains from Canada and Fashola went to Canada to make sure the Company is bringing in good and safe trains to Lagos and after seeing the trains and in what shape they'll be before getting shipped to Lagos, he gave the go ahead.

2. There is a huge difference between used and refurbished.

3. These are refurbished trains retrofitted to function like new trains with even better modifications than when they were new off the plant.

Each of a TTC cars come versed with air conditioning, involuntary shifting doors, solid-state traction control, appetite saving regenerative braking, as good as a far-reaching operation of complicated reserve comforts as good as amenities. Once versed with a state-of-the-art, GPS-based sight carry out complement done by General Electric, Eko Rail’s trains will yield faster, safer, cheaper as good as some-more arguable travel for Lagosians.


As a electric-powered cars turn over-abundance as good as have been pulled offline in Toronto, they will be away trucked to a United States for a rebuilding by a group of world-class rail engineers. The cars will additionally bear track-width (or “gauge”) acclimatisation as good as interior refurbishment prior to being shipped to Lagos.


http://autofinancetoronto.com/eko-rails-trains-begin-journey-to-lagos/

We are looking at almost new and better trains by the time they get to Lagos. Even better than when they were first built.


I don't know why it's so hard for many of you to stop being intellectually lazy, do a little digging at least to educate yourself and don't stop with just the need to do the usual pointless and uneducated criticism routine.

There's got to be other good qualities in you people other than the same uneducated ramblings like goats.

The Trains where bought as used NOT refurbished stock. . . . of course the LSG will work to refurb them but they were definitely not bought refurbished, but from scrap stock.

Kobojunkie:

The Trains where bought as used NOT refurbished stock. . . . of course the LSG will work to refurb them but they were definitely not bought refurbished, but from scrap stock.

What difference does it make?


What are Lagosians going to be riding on? Your silly scrap of fully refurbished and updated trains designed to function like new?

Are you just mead and upset that they are not sending the trains to Lagos straight from the stock yard?

is that what's killing you?


You are getting more and more pointless and ridiculous everyday?

There is a huge difference between used and refurbished.

It is not refurbished when I actually buy scrap stock and then work on it, spending my own money and time to get it to near presentable or working order. However if I purchased it in refurb state, then it is considered a refurb purchase.

Kobojunkie:

The Trains where bought as used NOT refurbished stock. . . . of course the LSG will work to refurb them but they were definitely not bought refurbished, but from scrap stock.

jumobi1:

Is that a good business deal by our govt? It smells fishy if this article is true.

Well, considering the article suggests that TCC went home smiling on the deal, I think they got what they wanted from this. Now it is time for us to assess if we really got our money's worth.

Kobojunkie:

There is a huge difference between used and refurbished.

It is not refurbished when I actually buy scrap stock and then work on it, spending my own money and time to get it to near presentable or working order. However if I purchased it in refurb state, then it is considered a refurb purchase.

You mean it's wrong to buy something used with your money and spend a few change extra to fix it up to?


Can you show us where this is classified and as something wrong or illegal?


So what if you decided to buy refurbished, but the refurbished cost more because they've spent extra money to refurbish trains.

What if it cost less to buy used and spend your own extra change to do the refurbishing instead of paying the extra cost that's tacked onto the refurbished cost?


Or is it your understanding that refurbishing is done for free?


One day one day, you go begin use your God's given brain the way it's supposed to be used.

Again . . .

There is a huge difference between used and refurbished.

It is not refurbished when I actually buy scrap stock and then work on it, spending my own money and time to get it to near presentable or working order. However if, and only when it is actually purchased in refurb state, then it is considered a refurb purchase.

Kobojunkie:

The Trains where bought as used NOT refurbished stock. . . . of course the LSG will work to refurb them but they were definitely not bought refurbished, but from scrap stock.

Again


You mean it's wrong to buy something used with your money and spend a few change extra to fix it up to?


Can you show us where this is classified and as something wrong or illegal?


So what if you decided to buy refurbished, but the refurbished cost more because they've spent extra money to refurbish trains.

What if it cost less to buy used and spend your own extra change to do the refurbishing instead of paying the extra cost that's tacked onto the refurbished cost?


Or is it your understanding that refurbishing is done for free?


One day one day, you go begin use your God's given brain the way it's supposed to be used.

@ EKO ILE & other Folks of the same School- of- thought; I have a hypothetical but pertinent question(s) for you & I hope you would answer the question in a straight-forward & thoughtful way. Would you pay top dollar for the purchase of a 1980 Model IBM Personal Computer for your child right now, because your child needs a personal computer at home?.

As you can see , this question is two-fold; Paying steeply for it & taking into cognizance the model year of this machine. I hope I'll be getting mature & measured response(s) on this, because I don't have time for any personal attack.[color=#000099][/color]

enyhss:

@ EKO ILE & other Folks of the same School- of- thought; I have a hypothetical but pertinent question(s) for you & I hope you would answer the question in a straight-forward & thoughtful way. Would you pay top dollar for the purchase of a 1980 Model IBM Personal Computer for your child right now, because your child needs a personal computer at home?.

As you can see , this question is two-fold; Paying steeply for it & taking into cognizance the model year of this machine. I hope I'll be getting mature & measured response(s) on this, because I don't have time for any personal attack.[color=#000099][/color]

Where is your evidence that they paid top dollars for the train? If you want to prove that they paid too much for the train, then you need to post the cost of a new train and how much they paid for the used train. The real question you should be asking is would you buy a brand new BMW for your son who is just learning how to drive and has a history of wrecking and not maintaining several bicycles you've bought for him in the past, Or would you buy a fully functional used car that is cheaper and easier to maintain,

enyhss:

@ EKO ILE & other Folks of the same School- of- thought; I have a hypothetical but pertinent question(s) for you & I hope you would answer the question in a straight-forward & thoughtful way. Would you pay top dollar for the purchase of a 1980 Model IBM Personal Computer for your child right now, because your child needs a personal computer at home?.

As you can see , this question is two-fold; Paying steeply for it & taking into cognizance the model year of this machine. I hope I'll be getting mature & measured response(s) on this, because I don't have time for any personal attack.[color=#000099][/color]

Why bother me with your apples and oranges questions. What's the relationship between a computer and a Train? Are they built to function the same way and serve the same purpose?


Btw? Who told you they paid steeply? Do you mind showing me the sales transaction papers detailing how much it cost to buy the trains?

@ EKO ILE & GENIUS 100

Let me begin by reminding you what BRF told Lagosians in October 16, 2011 , while marking his 1600 Days in office. He said inter alia, that he ''had Inspected the ''15 YEAR-OLD'' COACHES and was convinced they were good enough for the project'' From the www.nowtoronto.com article, It revealed that ''half the cars (coaches) are more than 30 years old.'' The question now is Does the Governor actually know the actual age of these coaches when he told Lagosians they were 15 years old?

To answer one of your questions that dealt directly with how much was paid for the coaches. Quoting the Article, The Toronto Transit Commission's spokesperson, ''Brad Ross, though declined to discuss specific figures, he says the ''STICKER'' price for Lagos is '' SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN THE SCRAP PRICES'' putting the TTC profits in the millions of dollars''. Please, this is very straightforward. How do you spin this.? Bear in mind that these Coaches are said to have been ''DECOMMISSIONED" & when they reach this stage, ''they are usually sold for Scrap Metals'' .Take note of the key words here : Decommissioned, Scrap metals!

Let me delve into the scrap-metal aspect a little. If I, an Individual approaches a company or organisation like TTC, to purchase these coaches, & they tell me they usually sell them for as high as CDN 1500/coach to scrap metal buyers/ Dismantlers & Recyclers. Since I'm ready to buy up to 260 coaches, I think you would agree with me that I shouldn't pay up to CDN 1500/coach because of the quantity involve, regardless of what I intend to use it for. So why should anybody, Lagos state or PPP or whoever that may be pay ''SIGNIFICANTLY MORE'' for it? The article says the Commission's profits will be in Millions of Dollars. Whereas, the total cost of 260 Coaches multiply by CDN 1500 equals CDN 390,000.00. Where does the difference go?

I hope you will agree with me that the Toronto Transit Commission sells these coaches with Caveat; that they (seller) are not required to meet any & or perform any safety standards & regulations before selling them off to Eko Rail.

Also, Its been gathered that ''these coaches, due to their age, requires much more frequent maintenance work than the new ones''. So, wouldn't it be a better route to go If we decide to go for something that doesn't require frequent maintenance, owing to our maintenance culture or lack thereof.

I really don't get what you meant by apples & oranges question here . Though, a personal computer & Train coaches do not serve the same purpose by any means, but I'm sure you know what i'm driving at. There are phases in technological advancement. For the mere fact that we did not make use of 70's & 80's Rail Technology while it was widely in use back then, does not not mean we should start from archaic technology in 21st century. And if we must, for whatever reason(s),it should cost the citizenry next to nothing.!

I'm enjoying the tone of the discourse so far since it is devoid of usual personal attack & abusive words on this medium. Lets's keep it civil as it is.

^^^^ I don't mind debating thi s issue with you, but not with all the stuff you are basing your argument on.

I'll take official transcript and record of transactions over a news tabloid.

Get me the credible and official transaction documents with the actual purchase figures and I'll take it from their.


The fact is, the trains were sent to the best folks in the business who are world class rail engineers for inspection, upgrades with the latest rail technologies and facilities.

These folks know better than you on NL peddling tabloid news without credible facts to support your argument.


All this USED 30 years assertions means nothing to me really.

I can't believe you really asked me to produce the official transaction documents of this deal. That's very funny. I hope you realized that the source of this

information is not a Nigerian-owned Newspaper or tabloid, so I will assume the paper would have no premeditated reason to publish lies or uncorroborated

story against Lagos state government, its agencies or any of its partners.


By the way, I'm aware that Lagos state government under the current Administration, have made so much progress in all facets of life, & the governor should

be commended for all that. However, we should also be able to criticize the Administration constructively, if the government performs below expectation in

certain areas as well.

Happy Holidays to you & your Family.

@enyhss

Your comparison is bad as per the computer stuff, what you should have said is buying a used pentium versus a new one, you do know that used stuff keep computer village and the auto guys in business.