Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola has said that after the completion of the Blue and Red Rail lines, about 1.6 million Lagosians would be transported daily as it will “further increase residents transport options”.
Fashola also confirmed that the state government will soon complete the construction of the route for the cable car project in the State.
Fashola who was represented by Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa disclosed this yesterday, at the the 2013 World Habitat Day event themed: ‘Urban Mobility,’ at the Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja.
Fashola noted that the introduction of the cable car transportation was in line with the global practices aimed at complement the transportation system in the state.
He described the innovation as also towing the line vital efforts being taken to achieve the status of a mega city.
“The present administration is committed to activating every means of transportation in Lagos in order to reduce numbers of vehicles on the road, which translates to unhealthy volumes of carbon emissions.”
Fashola further noted that “at the end of the 2014, the Blue Line of the rail project should begin to transport residents from Mile2 to Marina, a journey of about 13.5 kilometres, in the shortest possible time.
“We are also proud to say that the cable car, a veritable means of fast and unhindered transportation, is on the verge of completion.
“To grow the economy of our dear city of Lagos into one of the model mega cities in Africa, embracing the best practices in the transportation/urban mobility cannot be overlooked.
“Lagosians must accept the concept of transportation as safer and more economical. We must recognise that individual transportation translates to more vehicles on the roads, which translates to an unhealthy volume of carbon emissions.
“Hence, our drive is to provide a combination of transportation that would include road, rail and water-ways. The challenges, however, are formulating more innovative changes aimed at ensuring the sustainability of these policies,” he added.
“The visibility study is on and tests are being conducted. Soon, Lagosians would soon experience another transportation experience.
The Blue line and the Redline rail projects are on-going and will soon completed. Lagos state is the third in the African continent to achieve urban mobility”, he said.