*Opens bid for four other rail projects
The Lagos State Government has said that the first phase of the ongoing construction of 27 kilometre Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line project from Marina to Okokomaiko will be ready in 2022.
This came as government added that it has reinvigorated the environmental sector in the last one year, restoring the mandate of agencies and making the state cleaner.
The Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde and Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello made these assertions on Wednesday, during the 2020 Ministerial Press Briefing as part of activities to commemorate the first year in office of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the Governor of Lagos State, held at the JJT Park, Alausa.
Meanwhile, the state Government said between 2015 till February 1, 2020 the restriction commencement date, there were over 600 deaths recorded in commercial motorcycles, called” Okada,” tricycles related accidents, while there were over 10,000 reported cases of accidents.
According to Oladeinde, “The Blue and Red lines rail projects remain the flagship transport developments of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration.
“The Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line project is a 27 kilometer rail project from Marina to Okokomaiko.
“The first phase of the project, that is Marina to Mile 2, is expected to commence passenger operation by the second quarter of 2022.
“The Redline will share track with the standard gauge track of the Lagos – Ibadan Rail Modernisation project of the Federal Government. It is planned to commence passenger operations also in the second quarter of 2022.
“The State is currently evaluating bids submitted by investors for four other rail lines recently advertised for expression of interest for design, build, operate, maintain and transfer basis.
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“The four lines are; 68 kilometre Green Line from Marina to Lekki Free Zone, 60 kilometre Purple Line from Redemption Camp to Ojo, 34 kilometre Yellow Line from Otta to National Theatre and 48 kilometre Orange Line from Ikeja to Agbowa.”
Increasing motorcyclist deaths
Oladeinde stated that, “it was worrisome to note that between 2015 to the restriction commencement date, there were over 600 deaths recorded in Okada/ Tricycles related accidents, while there were over 10,000 reported cases of accidents in the state.”
He addded that the state government had issued 479,028 number plates and drivers license to motorists in the state in the last one one.
A breakdown showed that 288,000 number plates and 191,028 drivers license were issued in the last one year.
According to Oladeinde, the Motor Vehicle Administration Agency (MVAA) on weekly basis issued a total of 6, 000 new number plates, 24,000 monthly and a total 288,000 in the last one year.
He said the administration had recently re-introduced the Temporary Vehicle Tag (TVT) to assist in providing a robust data base and sharing of valuable information about all new vehicles entering the State with Law enforcement agencies, which he said harped on safety as well as security alertness.
Bello in his address, said that the ministry had in the last one year improved the drainage network in the state to facilitate free flow of water through its proper channels.
He said while some of the drainage channels were cleaned up, they are being revisited on a regular basis to ensure that they do not return to the terrible state in which they were some five or more years ago.
Bello expressed commitment to fostering a clean, healthy and sustainable environment for the well-being of the citizenry through the application of best practices in the environmental management.
He stated that the State is currently witnessing a cleaner environment as a result of the strategies put in place to stabilize waste collection activities on public highways such as Ikeja, Agege Alimosho, Iba, Otto Awori and Badagry expressway, among others.
The commissioner revealed that Government through Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, has been monitoring the activities of accredited private sector participants (PSP) with a view to access their level of service delivery and address all challenges promptly adding that the PSP operators are being empowered and encouraged to acquire new equipments
Realizing that the state requires attention for sustainable development in the face of incessant flood, Bello said, “We have been engaging in regular desilting of all drainage channels through its Emergency Flood Abatement Gangs and has also procured tipping trucks that swiftly carts away the silts generated from the cleaned drains”.
According to the Commissioner “from January till date, the Emergency Flood Abatement Gang (EFAG) has carried out routine maintenance cleaning and emergency de-flooding interventions on 47 Nos. Secondary Collector Drains, about 13 critical channels have been worked on so far which includes dredging and maintenance, while an approval has been gotten for the maintenance cleaning of 192 secondary collectors spread throughout the 20 Local Government Areas of the State”.