With the commercial launch of the Lagos Red Line project, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has solidified his legacy as the master of infrastructure and the superstructure upon which the modern transportation system in the city that never sleeps is built.
There is no second-guessing the governor having delivered the Red Line in good time from beginning to the end, coming a year after the popular Blue Line began operation.
Hear the governor: “We’re on a mission to keep Lagos moving, and the Red Line is a key part of our vision to create a seamlessly connected city. It is also our second rail system to become operational in less than two years”.
So far, over two million passengers have used the Blue Line. Today, the Marina to Mile 2 line has 36 trips per day reducing travel time and expanding business and tourism.
For the Red Line which covers a longer distance of 27 kilometres from Agbado – a border town between Lagos and Ogun States will run all the way to Oyingbo – the centre of Lagos mainland.
As Sanwo-Olu flagged off the passenger launch with pomp and pageantry, the auspicious occasion was not lost as the governor has earned his stripes to brag and celebrate about the feat he conceived and delivered.
In truth it is only those who have commuted in the axis that will understand the significance of this infrastructure. Driving from Agbado to Ikeja can take anything from one hour to three depending on the day. But that’s not all.
The trip can drag into other road related issues including the possibility of an accident, the usually nagging presence of road safety officers and the “fearsome” Vehicle Inspection Officers.
How about missing the right way by driving into prohibited routes styled as “one-way” or mistakenly entering the BRT corridor due to ignorance, traffic or bad roads. Then the constant road rages and obstructions caused by the ubiquitous danfo, korope and keke taxis that inhibit movement and sometimes lead to risks to life and property. The list is endless.
Sanwo-Olu and his team have solved multiple problems via just one stroke by providing a metro service that is available, affordable and reliable. Residents who live on the corridor do not need to fret when they have appointments or while going to work. They now have real choices of either hopping on the BRT or taking a metro ride.
Businesses will do better, reckless bike rides will reduce on the road, workers would be happier and more productive as Lagosians begin the use of the Red Line – the second of the five lines promised by the state government as far back as 2002.
Progressive delivery of infrastructure like the train service is a major booster to economic activities and for a highly populated city like Lagos, it’s a more than welcome development.? Surely, other parts of Lagos must be yearning for this good turn. Luckily enough, the governor is planning more of such interventions.
As fuel continues to be a contentious and polarizing commodity – costing an arm and a leg as a result of the deregulation of the petroleum industry by the federal government, Lagosians have their state government to thank for thinking ahead and providing the right solution to minimize the shock of tripping transportations costs.