• Commuters outline many problems of BRT scheme, amid fears that it may go the way of LMTS, Eko Transport, others
By TESSY IGOMU
For hours after work, Niyi Odesanya stood in the rain, drenched to the skin. He was among the many individuals on the queue at Cele Bus Stop, waiting for the few Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) buses that ply the Cele-Ikotun route. For quite sometime now, Niyi, like others that usually board the BRT, now has to wait endlessly in the rain and under the scorching sun to board the bus home
.
The BRT is no doubt, the preferred choice for most Lagos commuters because of its relatively cheaper rate and prompt arrival to destinations. But of late, it appears the scheme is showing signs of depreciation on all fronts with most road users gradually shunning the BRT buses.
Many fear the initiative might soon die a silent death, as it seems to be ting the path of other schemes conceived by past administrations.
BRT, a public private partnership initiative of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) supported by the World Bank, was in its gestation during the Bola Tinubu administration. It, however, came to fruition shortly after Mr. Babatunde Fashola became governor.
The coming of the scheme, on March 17, 2008, was seen as a panacea to the nerve-racking traffic that held Lagos by the jugular. Many saw it as a possible end to the era of rage that has bedevilled Lagos roads for decades.
Trailed by controversy, it was one initiative that generated widespread misgivings among a section of Lagosians, especially commercial bus operators, who saw the scheme as a ploy to tactically drive them out of business. However, to many, the BRT was a welcome development because of its ability to ensure hitch-free movement. The scheme was adopted because of its success in some other developing cities of the world. The government said it was the most viable option among the several available for meeting the mobility needs of an average commuter. The scheme, it was also believed, would, among other things, improve air quality by gradually phasing out the rickety, smoke-belching molue buses that dominated Lagos roads.
To many commuters, who had had nasty experiences with commercial buses, BRT was unarguably the answer to their prayer. The BRT also provided succour from the exploitative tendencies of commercial bus operators, who hiked fares arbitrarily, and the dreaded ‘one chance’ (bus thieves) operators.
Indeed, the coming of BRT also achieved a rare feat in the area of discipline, as Lagosians were always on queue at designated BRT terminals. This was one uphill task that hitherto seemed impossible, as such accomplishment only brings to mind the regime of General Mohammed Buhari.
Part of the steps put in place by the state government to make the scheme failure proof, having witnessed failed attempts by successive government to re-enact the Lateef Jakande administration’s metro line dream, was the training and equipping of more than 400 personnel of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) to enforce compliance. Personnel were also trained to tackle the hideous task of transport management. To make it assume a more serious outlook, motorists were made to endure gruelling months of squeezing through two lanes, especially on the busy Ikorodu Road, due to construction of designated BRT lane.
When the scheme clocked one in 2009, the encomia that poured in was an indication that commuters benefited from the scheme, especially those that work on the island and live on the mainland. For this set of people, BRT has really solved the problem that existed in getting them to their destinations on time in the midst of gruelling traffic.
However, of late, the achievements of the scheme are almost being drowned by tunes of discontent from commuters and other road users. Many have described the BRT buses on Lagos roads as “walking coffins and a re-enactment of the phased out smoke-belching molues.”
According to a Lagos resident, Ngozi Onu, BRT is gradually losing its taste and relevance due to inefficient management and indiscipline, noting that the only thing that has kept it afloat is its cheap rate when compared to other means of transportation.
“To an extent, I still prefer the bus, especially on days when I am broke. Presently, it is a write-off. I feel the aim of the project has been defeated.”
Also sharing her view is another resident, who feels that BRT has compounded the pains of Lagosians instead of ameliorating them.
Recently, the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, launched the new electronic ticketing (e-ticket) system for BRT buses with the singular aim of bringing world best practice in transportation to the state. The e-ticket is meant to be used by commuters on the automated fare collection system while embarking and disembarking from the bus.
While launching the e-ticket system at the BRT CMS Terminal in Marina, Fashola noted that with the digitalised system, it would become possible for commuters to pay as low as N20 for short distance journeys. He stressed that the introduction was to make the transportation system via BRT buses more efficient and fast for both operators and users, by making the process of ticketing more user-friendly.
The recent launch has been flayed by critics, who noted that more efforts should have been put into making the scheme more efficient and comfortable for commuters instead of modernising it. They wondered how such a grandiose scheme would be implemented with the scrappy state the buses have slipped into. The same, they noted, also goes for the sister scheme – LAGBUS.
While the BRT scheme is being managed by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority for the state chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, the LAGBUS is largely run by the Lagos State Government, through the LAGBUS Asset Management Limited, with the use of vehicles owned by the government and some franchises. Most commuters have lamented that the scheme had fallen short of set standards, blaming it on innate poor maintenance culture prevalent in the country.
The obvious non-maintenance is gradually robbing the scheme of the shine that trailed its launch. Of late, the garages of both LAGBUS and BRT are parked full of grounded buses.
On Monday, August 5, at Asolo Bus Stop on Ikorodu Road, two faulty LAGBUS buses stood abandoned by the road, a sad reminder of the fate that has befallen the scheme in recent times.
Some of the buses are certainly in need of urgent rehabilitation. Commuters have also noted that many of the buses are badly in need of panel beating or possible phase-out from the road. The exterior of some of the buses now remind commuters of the much despised molue buses. The badly battered exterior of the buses are, no doubt, a pointer to the reckless nature of the ‘pilots’, whom many passengers lamented drive recklessly.
According to a resident, the drivers recklessly compete with other commercial buses on the road and hardly keep to their lanes. Many have also wondered what has become of the drivers and conductors’ uniform, as most of them now operate clad in mufti.
Presently, most of the BRT buses ply their routes with their doors ajar or permanently closed as the automated controls switches have malfunctioned.
Initially, there was no option of standing in the buses, as the buses take-off once the seats were occupied. Now, you see most times are overloaded buses with the number of standing passengers exceeding the approved figure.
Another pain that BRT passengers now contend with is the issue of carrying goods into the buses. Each day, you find commuters complaining that the BRT has become another form of conveyor for market women and others who intend to move goods about.
“It’s a reminiscent of the molue. Initially, people with heavy goods are not allowed on board, but these days, you practically look for where to put your leg and also avoid getting your clothes getting soiled by all manners of dirty things brought into the bus,” lamented a banker who preferred using BRT bus to commute to work.
According to most commuters, the insolent nature of most BRT conductors has become a serious put-off. They noted that that the unruly behaviours exhibited by them are hardly different from the attitude of danfo conductors. Thus, most people who initially embraced the scheme and preferred commuting on the buses have gone back to using their cars.
“Do you blame them for their behaviour,” asked Chima, a banker on the Island, adding: “You can only take the monkey away from the bush; you can never take bush from the monkey. Most of the BRT operators were molue drivers and conductors purportedly co-opted and trained by the state government to manage the scheme. What better behaviour do you expect from them? I am sure most of them were rehabilitated and tutored on human relations but have refused to imbibe it.”
Speaking in the same vein, some commuters disclosed that initially, they were faced with the problem of BRT conductors not voiding passenger’s tickets but now, the rudeness of conductors and recklessness of the drivers has become a serious issue begging for attention.
According to Bisi Akinpelu, a housewife, a conductor on one of the corridors nearly engaged her in a fight when she indicated interest to alight at a bus stop.
“Initially, you don’t have any business with the conductor when you feel like alighting. All you needed to do was press the stop button to notify the driver that you wanted to alight. Now, you would scream ‘stop’ at the top of your voice, as if you are in a commercial bus.”
Of late, it has also become a common sight to see BRT and LAGBUS drivers manoeuvre dangerously in traffic in an attempt to scare other road users. This has most times resulted in fatal accidents that have drawn the ire of Lagosians.
When the BRT clocked one, Governor Babatunde Fashola, while taking a retrospective look at the scheme, cautioned the drivers against recklessness and the habit of intimidating other road users. He disclosed then that speed governors would be stationed on all the buses to keep the drivers in check, even as he implored them to always treat members of the public with courtesy.
From all indication, no checks or monitoring are carried out on the BRT buses while on their routes. Aside the reckless displays on the road, most of the drivers are known to engage passengers in scuffles even as they get late to the terminals.
“Each time you get to this place, you would meet a long queue. It is either the buses are not enough or they have broken down on arrival,” lamented a passenger at Anthony BRT terminal.
Reacting to all the shortcomings of the BRT scheme, the External Relations Specialist of LAMATA, Kolawole Ojelabi, said the operator of the scheme are in a better position to answer questions relating to the present state of the buses. He, however, noted that as an agency, LAMATA has met with the operator of the scheme and both have agreed on maintenance of the buses over a period of time. He referred the reporter to a recent release by the company to address the issue.
The statement noted that LAMATA, regulators of the Mile 12 – CMS Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system has unveiled a holistic plan at returning the BRT operations and experience to its once efficient and effective state at launch in 2008. It further noted that plans are in place to increase its capacity and address the challenges faced by commuters.
According to the release signed by Managing Director of LAMATA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, the state government is not unaware of the challenges that commuters using the current BRT system are experiencing, adding that serious steps are being taken to ensure the restoration of efficient and effective service delivery on the system as well as increase its capacity.
Mobereola disclosed that the operator has concluded arrangements for the acquisition of 50 new buses, the refurbishment of 100 serviceable vehicles and a re-structuring of its operations management team by the end of the third quarter of 2013.
“The Lagos State Government through LAMATA is working with the operator of the BRT System, the NURTW first BRT Cooperative, to ensure a full turnaround. As a regulating agency, we are working behind the scene to ensure that the ideals of the BRT system at conception and launch are not lost. Very soon, the change that commuters rightly expect would be evident. The operator has placed an order for 50 new buses as part of the process of re-fleeting the system”, Mobereola stated.
The LAMATA boss gave assurance that they would improve the experience of riding on the BRT buses, even as he assured that palliative works would soo n commence on the BRT lanes. He also disclosed that the process for increasing passenger queuing capacity and for creating bus-passing lanes at BRT stops has also commenced.
According to a transportation expert, whether the BRT initiative will live to serve the purpose of ameliorating the suffering of commuters on Lagos roads with time is one huge expectation still waiting to be met. He noted that schemes like the BRT would always go through a teething stage but noted that those in charge have to be better positioned and informed to go the whole hog with it. He stressed that for such a scheme to be successful, continuity and discipline had to be imbibed as a culture.
“The question is, how long will the dream of making commuting hassle-free last without being truncated by seemingly intractable factors?” he wondered
For hours after work, Niyi Odesanya stood in the rain, drenched to the skin. He was among the many individuals on the queue at Cele Bus Stop, waiting for the few Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) buses that ply the Cele-Ikotun route. For quite sometime now, Niyi, like others that usually board the BRT, now has to wait endlessly in the rain and under the scorching sun to board the bus home
.
The BRT is no doubt, the preferred choice for most Lagos commuters because of its relatively cheaper rate and prompt arrival to destinations. But of late, it appears the scheme is showing signs of depreciation on all fronts with most road users gradually shunning the BRT buses.
Many fear the initiative might soon die a silent death, as it seems to be ting the path of other schemes conceived by past administrations.
BRT, a public private partnership initiative of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) supported by the World Bank, was in its gestation during the Bola Tinubu administration. It, however, came to fruition shortly after Mr. Babatunde Fashola became governor.
The coming of the scheme, on March 17, 2008, was seen as a panacea to the nerve-racking traffic that held Lagos by the jugular. Many saw it as a possible end to the era of rage that has bedevilled Lagos roads for decades.
Trailed by controversy, it was one initiative that generated widespread misgivings among a section of Lagosians, especially commercial bus operators, who saw the scheme as a ploy to tactically drive them out of business. However, to many, the BRT was a welcome development because of its ability to ensure hitch-free movement. The scheme was adopted because of its success in some other developing cities of the world. The government said it was the most viable option among the several available for meeting the mobility needs of an average commuter. The scheme, it was also believed, would, among other things, improve air quality by gradually phasing out the rickety, smoke-belching molue buses that dominated Lagos roads.
To many commuters, who had had nasty experiences with commercial buses, BRT was unarguably the answer to their prayer. The BRT also provided succour from the exploitative tendencies of commercial bus operators, who hiked fares arbitrarily, and the dreaded ‘one chance’ (bus thieves) operators.
Indeed, the coming of BRT also achieved a rare feat in the area of discipline, as Lagosians were always on queue at designated BRT terminals. This was one uphill task that hitherto seemed impossible, as such accomplishment only brings to mind the regime of General Mohammed Buhari.
Part of the steps put in place by the state government to make the scheme failure proof, having witnessed failed attempts by successive government to re-enact the Lateef Jakande administration’s metro line dream, was the training and equipping of more than 400 personnel of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) to enforce compliance. Personnel were also trained to tackle the hideous task of transport management. To make it assume a more serious outlook, motorists were made to endure gruelling months of squeezing through two lanes, especially on the busy Ikorodu Road, due to construction of designated BRT lane.
When the scheme clocked one in 2009, the encomia that poured in was an indication that commuters benefited from the scheme, especially those that work on the island and live on the mainland. For this set of people, BRT has really solved the problem that existed in getting them to their destinations on time in the midst of gruelling traffic.
However, of late, the achievements of the scheme are almost being drowned by tunes of discontent from commuters and other road users. Many have described the BRT buses on Lagos roads as “walking coffins and a re-enactment of the phased out smoke-belching molues.”
According to a Lagos resident, Ngozi Onu, BRT is gradually losing its taste and relevance due to inefficient management and indiscipline, noting that the only thing that has kept it afloat is its cheap rate when compared to other means of transportation.
“To an extent, I still prefer the bus, especially on days when I am broke. Presently, it is a write-off. I feel the aim of the project has been defeated.”
Also sharing her view is another resident, who feels that BRT has compounded the pains of Lagosians instead of ameliorating them.
Recently, the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, launched the new electronic ticketing (e-ticket) system for BRT buses with the singular aim of bringing world best practice in transportation to the state. The e-ticket is meant to be used by commuters on the automated fare collection system while embarking and disembarking from the bus.
While launching the e-ticket system at the BRT CMS Terminal in Marina, Fashola noted that with the digitalised system, it would become possible for commuters to pay as low as N20 for short distance journeys. He stressed that the introduction was to make the transportation system via BRT buses more efficient and fast for both operators and users, by making the process of ticketing more user-friendly.
The recent launch has been flayed by critics, who noted that more efforts should have been put into making the scheme more efficient and comfortable for commuters instead of modernising it. They wondered how such a grandiose scheme would be implemented with the scrappy state the buses have slipped into. The same, they noted, also goes for the sister scheme – LAGBUS.
While the BRT scheme is being managed by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority for the state chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, the LAGBUS is largely run by the Lagos State Government, through the LAGBUS Asset Management Limited, with the use of vehicles owned by the government and some franchises. Most commuters have lamented that the scheme had fallen short of set standards, blaming it on innate poor maintenance culture prevalent in the country.
The obvious non-maintenance is gradually robbing the scheme of the shine that trailed its launch. Of late, the garages of both LAGBUS and BRT are parked full of grounded buses.
On Monday, August 5, at Asolo Bus Stop on Ikorodu Road, two faulty LAGBUS buses stood abandoned by the road, a sad reminder of the fate that has befallen the scheme in recent times.
Some of the buses are certainly in need of urgent rehabilitation. Commuters have also noted that many of the buses are badly in need of panel beating or possible phase-out from the road. The exterior of some of the buses now remind commuters of the much despised molue buses. The badly battered exterior of the buses are, no doubt, a pointer to the reckless nature of the ‘pilots’, whom many passengers lamented drive recklessly.
According to a resident, the drivers recklessly compete with other commercial buses on the road and hardly keep to their lanes. Many have also wondered what has become of the drivers and conductors’ uniform, as most of them now operate clad in mufti.
Presently, most of the BRT buses ply their routes with their doors ajar or permanently closed as the automated controls switches have malfunctioned.
Initially, there was no option of standing in the buses, as the buses take-off once the seats were occupied. Now, you see most times are overloaded buses with the number of standing passengers exceeding the approved figure.
Another pain that BRT passengers now contend with is the issue of carrying goods into the buses. Each day, you find commuters complaining that the BRT has become another form of conveyor for market women and others who intend to move goods about.
“It’s a reminiscent of the molue. Initially, people with heavy goods are not allowed on board, but these days, you practically look for where to put your leg and also avoid getting your clothes getting soiled by all manners of dirty things brought into the bus,” lamented a banker who preferred using BRT bus to commute to work.
According to most commuters, the insolent nature of most BRT conductors has become a serious put-off. They noted that that the unruly behaviours exhibited by them are hardly different from the attitude of danfo conductors. Thus, most people who initially embraced the scheme and preferred commuting on the buses have gone back to using their cars.
“Do you blame them for their behaviour,” asked Chima, a banker on the Island, adding: “You can only take the monkey away from the bush; you can never take bush from the monkey. Most of the BRT operators were molue drivers and conductors purportedly co-opted and trained by the state government to manage the scheme. What better behaviour do you expect from them? I am sure most of them were rehabilitated and tutored on human relations but have refused to imbibe it.”
Speaking in the same vein, some commuters disclosed that initially, they were faced with the problem of BRT conductors not voiding passenger’s tickets but now, the rudeness of conductors and recklessness of the drivers has become a serious issue begging for attention.
According to Bisi Akinpelu, a housewife, a conductor on one of the corridors nearly engaged her in a fight when she indicated interest to alight at a bus stop.
“Initially, you don’t have any business with the conductor when you feel like alighting. All you needed to do was press the stop button to notify the driver that you wanted to alight. Now, you would scream ‘stop’ at the top of your voice, as if you are in a commercial bus.”
Of late, it has also become a common sight to see BRT and LAGBUS drivers manoeuvre dangerously in traffic in an attempt to scare other road users. This has most times resulted in fatal accidents that have drawn the ire of Lagosians.
When the BRT clocked one, Governor Babatunde Fashola, while taking a retrospective look at the scheme, cautioned the drivers against recklessness and the habit of intimidating other road users. He disclosed then that speed governors would be stationed on all the buses to keep the drivers in check, even as he implored them to always treat members of the public with courtesy.
From all indication, no checks or monitoring are carried out on the BRT buses while on their routes. Aside the reckless displays on the road, most of the drivers are known to engage passengers in scuffles even as they get late to the terminals.
“Each time you get to this place, you would meet a long queue. It is either the buses are not enough or they have broken down on arrival,” lamented a passenger at Anthony BRT terminal.
Reacting to all the shortcomings of the BRT scheme, the External Relations Specialist of LAMATA, Kolawole Ojelabi, said the operator of the scheme are in a better position to answer questions relating to the present state of the buses. He, however, noted that as an agency, LAMATA has met with the operator of the scheme and both have agreed on maintenance of the buses over a period of time. He referred the reporter to a recent release by the company to address the issue.
The statement noted that LAMATA, regulators of the Mile 12 – CMS Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system has unveiled a holistic plan at returning the BRT operations and experience to its once efficient and effective state at launch in 2008. It further noted that plans are in place to increase its capacity and address the challenges faced by commuters.
According to the release signed by Managing Director of LAMATA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, the state government is not unaware of the challenges that commuters using the current BRT system are experiencing, adding that serious steps are being taken to ensure the restoration of efficient and effective service delivery on the system as well as increase its capacity.
Mobereola disclosed that the operator has concluded arrangements for the acquisition of 50 new buses, the refurbishment of 100 serviceable vehicles and a re-structuring of its operations management team by the end of the third quarter of 2013.
“The Lagos State Government through LAMATA is working with the operator of the BRT System, the NURTW first BRT Cooperative, to ensure a full turnaround. As a regulating agency, we are working behind the scene to ensure that the ideals of the BRT system at conception and launch are not lost. Very soon, the change that commuters rightly expect would be evident. The operator has placed an order for 50 new buses as part of the process of re-fleeting the system”, Mobereola stated.
The LAMATA boss gave assurance that they would improve the experience of riding on the BRT buses, even as he assured that palliative works would soo n commence on the BRT lanes. He also disclosed that the process for increasing passenger queuing capacity and for creating bus-passing lanes at BRT stops has also commenced.
According to a transportation expert, whether the BRT initiative will live to serve the purpose of ameliorating the suffering of commuters on Lagos roads with time is one huge expectation still waiting to be met. He noted that schemes like the BRT would always go through a teething stage but noted that those in charge have to be better positioned and informed to go the whole hog with it. He stressed that for such a scheme to be successful, continuity and discipline had to be imbibed as a culture.
“The question is, how long will the dream of making commuting hassle-free last without being truncated by seemingly intractable factors?” he wondered
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