BRT operator decries encroachment on dedicated lanes

Primero Transport Services Ltd., operator of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Lagos, says it is worried by commercial motorcyclists, buses and private cars encroaching on BRT lanes and impeding services.

Mr Fola Tinubu, the Managing Director of the firm, raised the concern in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday while enumerating challenges faced in the BRT operation in the outgoing year.

Tinubu urged the state government to do something fast about the menace of commercial motorcyclists, popularly known as Okada riders and danfo drivers using the BRT lanes.

According to him, the continuous encroachment on BRT lanes has been unhealthy for the smooth operations and has led to unnecessary human capital losses when commercial motorcyclists weave in-between BRT buses.

“There are so many challenges we are facing on BRT corridors, one of the biggest challenges is Okada riders encroaching into BRT lanes.

“The way those guys (commercial motorcyclists) ride their motorcycles is as if they have duplicate life and it is very dangerous for them to go on BRT corridors.

“Also, danfos (commercial bus drivers) and private cars still encroach on the corridors and all these slow us down,” Tinubu said.

According to him, the operator has also noticed that the barriers erected by the state government to prevent pedestrians from crossing highways have been pulled down on BRT corridors, especially at Ketu area.

He said the iron rods were affecting the BRT operations and destroying bus tyres.

“We are working with the Lagos State Government to either fix those iron rods or remove them completely,” Tinubu said.

He said the firm was committed to providing improved, fast and safe services to the teeming commuters in the state.

“What we are planning is to make our services better. The most important thing is for our customers to be able to move from point A to B in a fast and safe way.

“My goal and my focus is to find a way of getting our customers to where they are going as fast as possible. We will keep on working until we get it right,” he said.

NAN reports that encroachment on BRT lanes by other road users has caused accidents that have claimed lives and caused injury in the year. (NAN)