Lagos BRT to link Ikorodu to Lagos Island

Just in case you never heard...

"Lagos, a city famous for its hours long traffic jams, will expand its bus rapid transit (BRT) system to the Ikorudu neighborhood, adding 15 new stations and a dedicated bus lane running parallel to an existing roadway. The expanded system is forecast to carry 160,000 passengers daily." [TheCityFix].

In its determination to resolve the endemic gridlock that plagues the city, the Lagos state authorities have commenced work on the extension of the Lagos BRT from the fringes of Ojota to the satellite city of Ikorodu. Lat April, while I was in Lagos, I drove to Ikorodu on a Sunday. To say it was an ordeal is an understatement. The single carriage road leading to it from Ketu through the ancient riverine communities at Majidun was inadequate. Entering Ikorodu itself was a difficult challenge as all the traffic into the town and by-passing it to neighbour towns like Ejinrin towards Sagamu and Ijebu-Ode was funneled via roundabout at the approach. It felt like hitting a brick wall at slow speed.

As usual, the typical scene was one of urban chaos. There were buses and lorries vying for the limited space. The 'agberos' [young men hustling for passengers into commercial vehicles] were having a field day. The road space had become a parking bay or bus stand or else it was used for makeshift shops and temporary kiosks. The LASTMA [Lagos State Traffic Management Authority] were not having any success managing the horrendous traffic. In fact, the entrance was worse than the exit. Leaving Ikorodu by 5pm on this fateful Sunday, we ran into heavy traffic approaching the same roundabout. It was the only sane way out of Ikorodu. You could decide to turn off the road into the side streets and join the Lagos Road beyond the roundabout. But one long look at the state of the side streets as well as the way that the cars on them tilted this way and that told you not to risk it. In the end, it took nearly 90 minutes to pass the junction.

The thought on my mind was that the government had failed to extend its magic wand to other needful parts of the megapolis. I also believed that the current regime had a plan to fix. Hence, I was delighted to learn that the BRT will soon be running from Ikorodu to Lagos Island. What a blessing! 

I am certain that the Ikorodu BRT extension will bring matchless benefit to that area and the whole of Lagos. It will relieve congestion and reduce pollution. It will have direct economic benefit by reducing the amount of money spent on daily commute to the Lagos islands by employees and other travellers. Such savings will provide additional disposable income that will fuel the local economy. Ikorodu will also become the  probably the first town in Lagos to have fully integrated transport through its already well-known ferry services. 

I congratulate the Lagos state government on this milestone and can't wait to take a ride from Ikorodu to Lagos Island on a very smart BRT service.

Well done, Lagos!