How Lagos state governor plans to tackle traffic congestion

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said his government is making efforts to find a sustainable solution to the traffic challenges in the state.

The governor said his administration would expand the capacity of the state’s water transportation and leverage Information and Communication Technology to address the disorderliness in the mass transit system.

Sanwo-Olu, according to a statement on Wednesday, said this at an event organised by the Covenant Christian Centre in Orile-Iganmu.



He said his government had approved the deployment of a six-kilometre-wide metropolitan fibre optic cable to be laid across the city which, according to him, would deliver fast Internet broadband to all residents of the state, adding that the project would be used to drive compliance with the state’s traffic laws as well as expand the capacities of its waterways.

Sanwo-Olu said, “To solve Lagos traffic problems from short to medium term basis, we have decided to come up with an intermodal transport scheme which will simultaneously see us developing capacities in waterways, rail and terrestrial mass transit. Our intervention is largely focused on the road because it is the most used method of transport. Once the rainy season passes, we are going to embark on extensive road rehabilitation across the state.

“Our medium to long-term plan involves the strengthening of the water transportation system. We have just acquired about seven new boats and we are about introducing water taxis that can ferry about 60 to 80 passengers each on a single trip. In our long-term plan, we are developing our rail system by completing the Blue Line, which started from Mile 2 to Marina.”