The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has disclosed that his administration targeted a daily movement of 70,000 passengers on the waterways mode of transportation.
Sanwo Olu said the state waterways transport service has moved over 200,000 people via water in less than one year, saying road projects take about 55-60 per cent of Lagos capital expenditure yearly.
The Lagos Lagos Governor, also revealed that the rail projects embarked upon by the state government will gulp over ₦100 billion.
He disclosed this during an interview on Sunday Politics, a political programme which aired on Channels Television on Sunday, as monitored by our correspondent in Lagos.
“It is a lot of money, it is well over N100 billion,” he said in reaction to the cost of the rail projects being constructed by the state government.
“I don’t criticise my predecessors but indeed for whatever planning or reasons, he never funded it. When we came back last two years, the contractor has since moved from about 55 per cent to about 93 per cent in terms of the physical construction of phase 1.”
The governor also accused the administration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) didn’t give the state government the right of way for the construction of the light rail.
Speaking further, Governor Sanwo-Olu said residents of the state should expect the rail project delivered by the last quarter of 2022.
Sanwo-Olu’s remarks come three days after he flagged off the ‘red line’ rail project which, when completed, has the capacity to commute at least one million persons daily.
During the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction, the governor explained that the 37-km Rail Mass Transit will traverse from Agbado to Marina, noting that it would become operational by the last quarter of 2022.
“Since efficient transportation is the backbone of any economy, we are happy to be committing this investment in our transport infrastructure, so that our people can meet their daily targets and aspirations,” the governor said during the event held at the proposed site of the Ikeja Train Station.
“This all-important transport project we are all gathered to witness today represents a major step in this direction.”
By Roland Ekama
