Lagos State Government says it will construct four vehicular overpasses to ensure less interaction with vehicular traffic between Oyingbo and Agbado for the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) – Red Line rail project.
Managing Director, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Abimbola Akinajo, said this in a statement on Friday during the public consultation and stakeholders’ meeting held in Mushin, Lagos.
Akinajo said that the three additional pedestrian bridges would be constructed to hedge pedestrians against exposure to the danger of crossing the rail line.
Akinajo, who was represented at the meeting by her Director of Rail Transport, Olasunkanmi Okusaga, said that the “overpasses would be built at Oyingbo, Yaba, Mushin and Ikeja where existing level crosses would be closed.
“These overpasses will also cater to pedestrian traffic while we will construct pedestrian bridges across the rail in three other locations.
“The state government had been striving hard to have a rail line over the last three decades.
“This is the best opportunity for us to have one running. Lagos is a state with a population of over 21 million.
“We need a transport system that will move the people en-masse. We project that the first phase of the Red Line will move about 750,000 passengers daily.
” That will have significant effect in reducing congestion on our roads,”Akinajo said.
She described the project as one that all Lagos residents and Nigerians would be proud of and therefore sought the cooperation of the people for a timely and successful completion of the rail project.
Akinajo said that all residents would be proud of the project because in the long run, it would change their travel experience and grant them easy access to transport services, job centres and social facilities.
According to the LAMATA boss, the project is expected to be completed in 24 months and solicited residents’ support to take responsibility for its quick completion.
An environmental and safety management consultant, Babatunde Osho, said that enumerators would soon carry out enumeration of project.
Osho explained that both house owners and tenants would be compensated and urged stakeholders to cooperate with Lagos State Government and work towards completion of the project.
Rasaq Ajala, Chairman, Odi-Olowo Ojuwoye Local Council Development Area, represented by Akin Daramola, the Council Secretary, pledged support for the rail project, assuring that the council would ensure all stakeholders’ buy-in.