The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, on Thursday, said the first phase of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit Blue Line rail system would open for passenger operations in August.
According to a press release, opportunities are available for investors in bus and rail advertising as the rail line opens for operations.
The Managing Director of LAMATA, Mrs Abimbola Akinajo, disclosed this on Thursday in a keynote address at the first-ever LAMATA business/investors forum held in Lagos.
“I am happy to inform you that we are rounding off all testing processes for the commencement of full passenger operations in August this year. Details of the operations will be announced soon,” Akinajo said.
She added that, “The first phase of LRMT Red Line (Agbado to Oyingbo) is also nearing completion and we intend to commence testing and passenger operations about August 2023.”
According to the statement, the Technical Adviser, Corporate and Investment Planning of LAMATA, Osa Konyeha, noted that “the state government was seeking investors in the development of the Abule Egba-Sango Tollgate Bus Rapid Transit corridor, a 7.6-kilometre bus route with a daily projected ridership of over 63,000 passengers.
“Also available is the Oworonsoki-Apapa BRT, a 28-kilometre route with a projected daily ridership of about 430,000 passengers.”
He added that the government was ready to partner with investors in the refurbishment of 300 buses that are currently non-operational and the decarbonisation of existing fleet and transition to cleaner energy.
“In rail transportation, the government is seeking partnership in the management of advertising and Out of Homes (OOH) concessions within the stations, construction and management of multi-level car parks, skywalk bridges at Ikeja and Marina while also looking forward for concessionaires for the Green and Purple lines which have a combined distance of 133 kilometres,” the statement further stated.
It added that opportunity would also be open to investors to bid for the upgrade of bus shelters, rehabilitation/construction of the Oyingbo bus terminal, construction of Ikorodu and Maryland terminals and transport interchange facilities at lju, Mushin, Ajah, Agege, LASU-Iba as well as Megabus terminals at Ojodu Berger, Odogunyan, Sango-Ota, Epe and Agbara.
