• Lagosians laud initiative, thank Sanwo-Olu
By Chibuike Okafor
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State May have returned smiles to Lagosians. This is as he has fulfilled his promise to complete the metro line vision first conceived in 1983 by the first civilian governor of the state, Alhaji Lateef Jakande.
The Jakande dream had suffered a setback, when in 1984, the General Muhammadu Buhari junta sacked the civilian administration.
The project was to be resuscitated in 2003 by former Governor Bola Tinubu (now President of Nigeria), 20 years after it was initially conceived, but was not also actualised.
However, when Sanwo-Olu became governor in 2019, he assured Lagosians that his administration would deliver the project.
Thus the hopes of the residents were heightened when the first phase of the Blue Line rail was inaugurated by former President Buhari in January this year.
The first phase spans from Marina to Mile 2, while the second phase covers Mile 2 to Okokomaiko. When completed, it is expected that it will take about 35 minutes to complete an end-to-end trip on the blue line, with a total of 13 stops/stations.
The first phase has 13 kilometres with five stops/stations namely Marina, National Theatre, Iganmu, Alaba, and Mile 2; while the phase two of the blue line will double that distance to 27 kilometres, by extending the tracks to Okokomaiko.
On completion, the entire 27km is expected to convey roughly 500,000 passengers daily, with the initial phase taking an estimated number of 250,000 passengers daily.
Each train is made up of four coaches, which will comfortably accommodate about 180 passengers.
This reporter taking a ride on the train at the Marina station, saw the train arriving at exactly 6:31 p.m, with a queue of large crowd already waiting for it.
While the few passengers that rode from Mile 2 were disembarking, the large crowd waiting at the Marina end rushed into the train, everyone scuttling for seats. The train was filled up in a few seconds with several passengers standing.
One of the passengers who boarded at Marina, who declined to give his name, said that the crowd was a testament to the joyful acceptance of the project by Lagosians.
He said: “The governor should help us complete the second phase on time and get more trains so that it will better serve Lagosians.”
A timing board showing the schedule of departure and arrival from and to each of the stations was displayed at the ticketing area.
This reporter visited the Mile 2 terminal and took a return trip from Mile 2 to Marina and back from Marina to Mile 2, in penultimate Tuesday, and observed full-fledged operations at the terminals.
The rail tracks are protected by iron fences to prevent pedestrians from crossing the tracks. A warning by LAMATA says that the rail tracks would be powered by electricity, and in order to prevent accidents that might result from crossing them, the tracks would be protected to prevent pedestrian access.
The Mile 2 station had officers of the Lagos Neighborhood Safety Corps stationed at its entrance while within the terminal, some soldiers were seen as at the time of visiting.
Plain cloth security agents and officers of the Lagos Neighborhood Safety Corps always rode with the passengers, to forestall criminals attacking the passengers on board.
On entering the terminal, one would observe that the entire building had several Close Circuit Television cameras installed in it.
The terminal also has a ticketing area where ticketing officers are waiting to help passengers get their new cowry cards or top up existing ones.
The Lagos State government has made it quite easy for passengers to use their cowry cards for all state-owned transport system.
And the cowry is the only way passengers can access the train.
An official stated that it is the same cowry card used on the BRT, LagFerry, disclosing that the “LAMATA-controlled small buses cowry is what we use for the train service as well.”
The reception by officials of LAMATA on ground was warm and friendly, with each official ready to help passengers familiarize themselves and navigate the system.
Although a waiting area was sighted by this reporter, where seats were provided for the passengers, but people who spoke under the condition of anonymity said that the seats might not be there for too long as the system has been designed to get passengers onboard as quickly as they arrive at the terminal when full operations begin.
A passenger simply identified as Johnson said that he came to Lagos two days ago and when his uncle told him that they have commissioned the rail network project, he said, “let me come and see what’s on the ground. That’s why I’m here.”
He stated that he felt excited, saying that “it is going to reduce traffic in the state. It will also ease movements to work and some other places. It will also boost the economy of Lagos State. I also believe it will spread across to neighbouring states.”
Another passenger, Mr Monday Abinde, said that his excitement was borne out of the fact that he did not believe this could happen in Lagos.
He said: I’m very excited because I didn’t believe this could happen in Lagos. Immediately I left the office, I went to the terminal at Marina. So, we came from the Marina station down to Mile 2. I decided to take this return ride because this is my first time ever to ride on a train.”
He added that he was planning to “come along with my children by the weekend.”
He urged the government and management of LAMATA to prioritize maintenance so that the service will continue to be beneficial to Lagosians.
The cost of a full trip from Marina to Mile 2 was N750, while zonal fares for passengers not making the complete trip will be between N400 and N500.
However, a 50 per cent discount on all state-owned transport systems announced by Sanwo-Olu currently applies to the rail system.
This means that the highest fare for the full trip will be N375 as long as the palliative lasts. But the cowry card costs N500.