Fashola, who spoke at the World Habitat Day held at the Adeyemi Bero Audirorium, Alausa in Ikeja, Lagos, southwest Nigeria on Monday, said residents of the state would begin to enjoy cable car and light rail transportation within the metropolis as the projects would be completed soon.
The governor stated that cable car, which is part of the Apapa model city plan, would transit between Apapa and Falomo, via Lagos Island, while describing the innovation as vital to achieving the mega city status.
He said his administration was committed to activating every means of transportation in the state in order to reduce the number of vehicles on the road, which cause unheal thy carbon emissions.
•Cable cars: ready 2015
The governor stated that the light rail project would be commissioned before the end of next year as it was estimated that 1.6 million Lagosians would be transported daily, which translates to 19.2 million passengers annually.
“By the end of 2014, The Blue Line should transport Lagosians from Mile 2 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 this concept of transportation as safer and more economical. We must recognise that individual transportation translates to more vehicles on the roads, which translate to an unhealthy volume of carbon emissions.
“Hence, our drive 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.”
The governor pointed out that in the last 14 years, priority attention had been paid to the improvement of urban mobility through the development of roads, water ways and rail lines, while identifying inadequate public transportation and parking spaces, as well as congestion as contemporary challenges.
Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olutoyin Ayinde said the theme of the event was not determined by the United Nations, saying that the state government was leaving nothing to chance to implement the intermodal transportation.
According to him, “our water transportation now moves about two million people daily. The cable car will take off from Apapa and link to Falomo via Lagos Island. The feasibility study is on and tests are being conducted. Soon, Lagosians would experience another transportation experience.
“The Blue line and the Red line rail projects are ongoing and will soon be completed. Lagos State is the third in the African continent to achieve urban mobility. It is gratifying to note that the state has dedicated 50 percent of the state budget to capital expenditure only, thus allowing for the provision of transport infrastructure in the state as well upgrading and expansion of the existing roads.”
Speaking on urban migration and security, the Chairman, Lagos State Security Trust Fund, Mr Fola Arthur-Worrey said it was imperative for government to redefine public spaces in its urban centres for the benefits of citizens.
Arthur-Worrey, who noted that Lagos remained a preferred destination because of its economic status and the accommodating nature of indigenes, noted that more funding from the federal purse would go a long way in solving some of the state’s environmental challenges.
