ILUPEJU GRAMMAR SCHOOL OLD STUDENTS ASSOCIATION '83' SET CELEBRATES A SPECIAL REUNION....

 BRT WILL BE BETTER, BUT...

                      Says BRF

Bus rapid transit (BRT) is a bus-based mass transit system. A true BRT system generally has specialized design, services and infrastructure to improve system quality and remove the typical causes of bus delay. Sometimes described as a "surface subway", BRT aims to combine the capacity and speed of a light rail or metro system with the flexibility, cost and simplicity of a bus system.
To be considered BRT, buses should operate for a significant part of their journey within a fully dedicated right of way (busway), in order to avoid traffic congestion. In addition, a true BRT system will have most of the following elements:
A busway alignment in the center of the road (to avoid typical curb-side delays)
Stations with off-board fare collection (to reduce boarding and alighting delay related to paying the driver)
Station platforms level with the bus floor (to reduce boarding and alighting delay caused by steps)
Bus priority at intersections (to avoid intersection signal delay).
Lagos state is henceforth putting the buses back to shape via creation of labour for the masses, where panel beaters, spray painters, auto mechanics, automobile electricians, upholsters and many more  are employed to put the vehicles back in order.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Public Transportation, Kayode Opeifa, on Monday said that the state government had taken delivery of 90 new buses to ease the transportation difficulties facing the residents. He also gave reasons why many of the BRT buses were in a poor state, saying it was caused by inavailability of spare parts.Mr. Opeifa told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that the state government acquired the buses for its Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) scheme.
He said that the new buses would soon be inaugurated.
Safest Way Transport Company in Agege and the Mutual Transports Company in Ejigbo/Ikotun had acquired 10 and 30 buses respectively, alongside 50 buses that were already acquired by the state.
Reacting to the commuters' complaints about the poor condition of BRT buses, Mr. Opeifa attributed the slow pace of maintenance work on the buses to the dearth of spare parts.
“You know, we don't manufacture buses and we don't manufacture spares but we have acquired additional 50 buses.
“Besides, Safest Way Transport in Agege has just acquired 10 more buses, while Mutual Transports in Ejigbo/Ikotun has also acquired another 30 buses.
“We have a total of about 80 to 90 new buses now, which will soon be introduced; we are also working hard with the operators to improve their capacity to fix their buses.
“We are working hard with the owners of those buses to ensure that they improve on the quality of their services,'' he said.
Opeifa, however, expressed the state government's commitment to putting in place a first-class transport system in the state so as to promote the people's socio-economic activities.
No fewer than 200 faulty buses operating under the Lagos State Bus Rapid Transport (BRT)system are being repaired by the state government, says Gov. Babatunde Fashola.
Fashola, who disclosed this on Saturday in Ikeja at a programme to commemorate his administration's 2,300 days in office, said they were being repaired at a government facility in Ojota.
He said the government took the step because of the rickety nature of the vehicles and the need to provide residents full access to the BRT services at all times.
While pledging government's resolve to undertake regular maintenance of the buses, the governor warned residents against vandalising them.
“You vandalise these buses because you are angry, because you are protesting. This is not right. It adds to the problem of bad buses and the access we are talking about,” he said.
Fashola stressed that the government would provide more buses and revive water transportation by improving infrastructure and acquiring more ferries.
According to the governor, government intervention has facilitated the movement of more than 1.8 million passengers monthly through the 44 ferries operated by different licenced companies in the state.
He said the 59 additional ferries would be provided to widen water transport services in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that former governors of the state, civil society groups, politicians and the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, were among the prominent people that