Authorities at LAMATA have ruled out the possibility of any fly-over along the ongoing extension of the Mile 12 – Ikorodu bus rapid transit road project as such design was not contained in the original design.
Instead, the job when completed, will eradicate a number of U-turn points along the route, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has said.
Making this clarification at the last BRT Extension, Mile 12-Ikorodu by LAMATA community forum held at Ikorodu West LCDA premises, Dayo Mobereola Owutu, managing director, LAMATA, represented by Olajide Oduyoye, the deputy director, Transport Safety, LAMATA, said the removal of the numerous turning points along the road was to allow for free flow of traffic and avert the usual delay caused by the action of motorists stopping and manoeuvring at such places.
The LAMATA deputy director was responding to the complaint that the design of the new project had made it difficult for motorists to turn to the other side of the road and had to travel a long distance to do so.
The periodic community forum by LAMATA is a stakeholders’ meeting where residents of the area and other road users are always provided the opportunity to speak on issues arising from the BRT extension project.
He explained that too many turning points on a busy and wide road as being developed along the corridor would cause create unnecessary bottlenecks, cause delay and accidents.
He advised residents of the community that they don’t need many turning points along that road as some of them are clamouring for because according to him, it doesn’t take time to travel through the entire road if there is no traffic congestion.
As he put it, “It is ‘go-slow’ that makes people want to make a U-turn, which the road project will remove when completed” and queried, “why is it that motorists don’t make a U-turn on the Third Mainland Bridge?”
The 13.5km road BRT project when commissioned would feature dedicated bus lanes, three interchange terminals, modern bus depot/garaging facilities, fully enclosed, bus shelters with step-free and gap-free boarding facilities.
There would also be 15 BRT stations at eight locations – Mile 12, Owode Onirin, Owode, Irawo, Majidun, Ogolonto, Agric and Haruna; the construction of three terminals at Mile 12, Agric and Ikorodu; the construction of 10 pedestrian bridges as well as the construction of a five hectare modern bus depot at Majidun.
During the session, residents of the area have appealed to the state government through LAMATA to resettle traders displaced along Mile 12 – Ikorodu Road at Sabo Market. The call was made by Salawudeen Oyefusi, the traditional of the Ayangburen of Ikorodu.
While speaking on behalf of the traditional ruler at the forum, his representative called for the construction of a pedestrian bridge at the Owutu Junction of the road, which he noted as having eight communities, for ease of crossing to either side of the road.
He said there was enough space within the Sabo Market to take care of the displaced traders. “This might not be part of your project, but you can accommodate it and make the people happy,” he stated.
The traditional ruler urged the agency to listen to the complaints and suggestions of the people, adding, “The BRT project is a Lagos state government/world Bank project and should be implemented as such.”
LAMATA has restated its commitment to meeting the December 2014 deadline for the completion of the N30bn Mile 12-Ikorodu BRT extension project.
