SUNRISE NEWS, Lagos, Aug 7, 2020 – The Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu will on Tuesday, inaugurate the Oshodi-Abule-Egba Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) as well as the Terminal 2 of the Oshodi multi-level terminal and interchange.
The Commissioner for Transportation Dr Frederic Oladeinde who confirmed this to The Nation on Thursday via an SMS, said the commissioning would put paid to speculation that the government may have abandoned the Oshodi Interchange and multi-level terminals project.
Confirming the development, the Managing Director of Planet Projects, Mr Biodun Otunola, whose firm handled the world class project, said 80 High Capacity Vehicles (HCVs), which would be deployed to the corridor, has been stacked at the multi-level terminal, waiting the roll out.
Otunola who was represented by the Facility Manager Mr Yomi Solaja, who led The Nation on an extensive tour of the three terminals, said all the three terminals are ready for activation.
According to him, the firm has left no stone unturned at the three terminals to ensure the comfort of passengers once commercial activities begins at the terminal.
Otunola who observed that the firm had projected a 15,000 passenger traffic daily, in the first three months of the commencement, with this getting to 25,000 passenger traffic once the terminal activity peaked.
He said Terminal 2, like the remaining two others, has 24 hours power supply, potable water, conveniences, retail outlets, ticketing plaza, loading bay, Closed circuit television, medical facility and elevators, escalators and a sky walk, through which passengers could connect all terminals once all of them begin full operation.
He said stacked in all the three terminals are 200 buses, made up of 120 midi buses, (which are to commence inner city shuttles especially on the Lagos Island axis), in addition to the 80 HCV buses, which would be solely dedicated to the Abule-Egba corridor.
Otunola disclosed that commercial activity would commence within the next two weeks at Terminal 1, which would serve inter-state transit, adding that negotiation is almost concluded with officials of the state chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), whose members would cover the Southwest states and the fleet operators operating in clusters around Oshodi, who would be covering the Southeast, Southsouth and Abuja.
He added that Terminal 1 would be run in conjunction with the contractor and offices have been provided at the terminal for all NURTW officers.
Terminal 1, according to him, also has a secluded section for VIP passengers who would not want to mingle with other passengers at the general boarding side, but have a separate stairway exclusively for them.
Otunola said Terminal 3 which was declared open by President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2019, already accounts for about 25,000 passengers daily on the seven routes it currently operates, which were: CMS, Obalende, TBS, Ikorodu, Ajah, Berger and Lekki even though it is working at about 45% capacity.
On security, Otunola said a solid arrangement is in place with the state Task Force, the Neighbourhood watchers and plain clothes security operatives who would be out to ensure that the three terminals are safe for all passengers and tourists who may come visiting Oshodi just to see the terminals.
He said besides the pedestrian bridges linking the three terminals with the taxi park, passengers can also link the three terminals via the skywalk, a 56 metres long walkway which is to be chilled with air conditioners.
Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 has a rooftop event centre with 1000 seating capacity, besides a rooftop garden restaurant where passengers could recreate while waiting to board vehicles going to their various routes.
- The Nation
