As the world prepares to usher in the New Year, the management of Lagos Bus Services Limited (LBSL) has reassured residents of the State, especially its customers, that it will ensure the realisation of its mandate of providing Smart and Sustainable Bus Transportation solutions that will meet the needs of the commuting populace.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LBSL, Mr. Idowu Oguntona, gave the assurance during the End-of-The-Year Town Hall meeting with the Agency’s Stakeholders at Lagos Bus Services Limited Headquarters, Ilupeju Depot, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Lagos.
Oguntona disclosed that although the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic and the #EndSARS protest dealt a great blow to the operations of the company this year, the company had re-strategised to put the unfortunate incident behind it and work towards the delivery of world-class transportation services in the coming year.
He added that the management of the transportation outfit has also concluded plans to provide a more conducive environment for its personnel, whereby they will be able to maintain organisational standards that will ensure staff are free to perform their duties without fear of assault.
In his words: “It is our plan and resolve that in 2021, we would do a lot better; COVID-19 pandemic came to us as a surprise and affected all plans which included financial projections, but by the resilience of all of you here (stakeholders) the company remained active and will continue to deliver on our mandate to Lagosians”.
“We are going to ensure that our staff are free to perform their duties without feeling threatened by anyone. Management has put in place mechanisms to ensure all staff abide by the rules and regulations of the company so as to maintain sanity and avoid instances that can affect staff performance”, he asserted.
The MD/CEO stressed that despite the unprecedented situation brought about by the global pandemic and the #EndSARS protests, LBSL was among few establishments in the country still operating without any dramatic reduction in its workforce, stressing that all matters relating to staff welfare have also been addressed.
Oguntona maintained that although the COVID-19 made the government to introduce safety regulations that affected the public transportation sector adversely, the development does not threaten the commitment of LBSL to Lagosians and its staff.
He added that the company has been able to weather the storm of myriads of challenges it encountered during the year, noting that “One of our biggest successes is the fact that as a company we are still standing whilst, regrettably, so many companies have folded up or had to let go many of their staff.
“Another part of our success story is that the company is still thriving despite the wanton destruction of property and arson during the #EndSARS protest. As a company, we lost 23 buses which amount to about 10% of our total fleet, despite that, we are still thriving. I am proud to say that one of the attributes of our DNA as an organisation is resilience”, he added.
While advising members of staff, especially the bus drivers, against engaging in acts that may be detrimental to the success of the company, Oguntona warned that LBSL would take very seriously any incident of bad behaviour, underperformance, reckless driving and poor customer relations. In 2021, the company will not hesitate to wield the stick against erring staff.
He expressed appreciation to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his unflinching support, doggedness, encouragement and confidence in the ability of the company to stand tall during and after the trying period, which had encouraged the company to achieve more success.
The Managing Director reminded Lagosians to celebrate this season with strict compliance to all COVID-19 protocols and implored them to imbibe the culture of using public bus transit, to eliminate traffic gridlock on roads, reduce stress and cost of maintaining their vehicles.
