Africa’s largest city eyes traffic decongestion with transport interchange

Lagos, Africa’s largest city, is planning to reduce traffic congestion with the Marina Transport Interchange Hub.

With over 1.6 million vehicles plying Lagos roads on daily basis, the state is grappling with traffic congestion, which is aggravated by the limited capacity of its existing road network.

Just a couple of months ago, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), in partnership with Agence Française de Développement (AFD), turned the first sod for the construction of the interchange designed to be a central nexus for various modes of transportation.

LAMATA, the state government’s agency responsible for coordinating public transportation, aims to implement and maintain a sustainable and efficient public transport system, ensuring improved mobility for all Lagos residents, it said.

Expectation is that the interchange will put an end to the chaotic parking and loading of passengers at the inner Marina and CMS axis, just as it will decongest roads and enhance intra-city connectivity while reducing travel time for residents.

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All these are expected to become realities in the next 15 months, according to Abimbola Akinajo, managing director of LAMATA, who spoke at the groundbreaking for the construction of the Marina as well as Mile 2 interchange hubs.

Akinajo explained that the interchange hubs would integrate multiple modes of transport, including buses, BRT, and rail services, facilitating smooth and efficient transit for commuters. He noted that the hub will be equipped with modern amenities, offering convenience and comfort, and ensuring a superior travel experience.

“By improving transport links, the hubs are expected to stimulate local economies, attract investments, and create job opportunities. The project aligns with sustainable development goals, promoting the use of public transport and reducing carbon emissions,” Akinajo assured.

When BusinessDay visited the construction site on Friday morning, it was observed that the area had become a beehive of activities as Prep Development Limited, the contractor handling the project, was upbeat about its workers, showing a commitment to deliver on schedule.

Though the construction site was fenced off and restricted to non-staff of the company, our reporter was able to speak with a construction worker outside the fence, who told him that the project was aimed to construct a big building where passengers would wait to connect buses, train or ferries.

“What we want to do here is the kind of thing Governor Ambode built at Oshodi, where passengers can go and get buses to other parts of Lagos. The difference here is that it will not be for only bus passengers. It will be a place people will use to connect train, ferries or BRT buses going to various places,” the worker said, affirming what the LAMATA boss had said.

Working side-be-side with Prep Development is Buildwell Construction and Equipment, which is carrying out the rehabilitation of the Marina shoreline. It was observed that the contractor was also upbeat about the piling work, which was progressing from the Marina Rail Station end to the CMS bus stop, just behind the transport interchange construction site.

“This is a Federal Government project, being executed by the Federal Ministry of Works. We are here to build a protective wall that will prevent water from flowing onto the main road and also the road leading to the train station,” a staff member of the company told our reporter at the construction site.

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The staff member, who refused to disclose his name, said: “I was not there when the contract for this work was signed and so I cannot tell you when the work will be completed. But we have started the piling work as you can see.”

With a good rail transport system and a functional BRT bus service, Lagos is also developing its water transportation, which was boosted recently with the commissioning of a fleet of high-capacity commercial ferries called OMI-BUS at the Badore Jetty in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of the state.

OMI-BUS is a collaboration between the state government and the private sector, spearheaded by Caverton Marine and designed to provide a safe, reliable and comfortable transport option.

The ferries are expected to enhance the efficiency and reliability of water transportation in Lagos, providing a vital alternative to the congested road networks. According to Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of the state, who commissioned the ferries, it is part of the broader efforts by the state government to modernise and diversify the city transport options.

The state has train stations for its Blue Line Rail system at Marina, which compares favourable with The Metro Rail Line in Dubai. There are other train stations at Mile 2, Alaba, Iganmu and National Theatre, all equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.

At Ikeja, along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, the state has also built a modern train station for its Red Line rail system, which is expected to start operation by the last quarter of 2024, according to officials of LAMATA.