SHUKROH BUSARI
Ogun State Government is working round the clock to put in place a holistic transportation movement that will address urban-rural migration from Lagos to Ogun State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports as was disclosed by the Ogun State Commissioner for Transport, Mr Gbenga Dairo, who stated that the Government is working to extend the Red Line railway into Ijoko, Ifo, Kajola, and Papalanto and other areas.
“We are working on that with Lagos to extend the red line railway into Ijoko, Ifo, Kajola, and Papalanto. I can confirm to you that the Governor is very interested in this.”
He explained that the transportation plan, which was developed in collaboration with the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (UKFCDO) and eggheads at the Olabisi Onabanjo University has been adopted by the state and is already being implemented in stages.
Mr Dairo also said that the target of the ministry is to deliver an affordable, safe, accessible, and sustainable transportation system that will take care of all parts of the state be they rural or urban.
Similarly, he confirmed that the ministry, which earlier commenced the Pilot CNG fueled bus scheme with the Adatan – Ita Osin route, has now extended the services to the Mowe-Ibafo-Berger route towards mitigating the increasing costs of transportation experienced by commuters.
“The transportation scheme will spread to other parts of the state in the coming months as there are plans to roll out more of such bus services.
In the same vein, Mr Dairo also said that Ogun State is different from Lagos State in terms of transportation in many ways.
“Our state is largely rural. Also, Ogun is not as populated as Lagos and there are far more smaller towns and villages to consider when developing a transportation plan.
Thus, “We are fine-tuning our Intercity transportation schemes too. High-capacity buses and alternative fuels are our concerns.”