The Lagos State government has urged locals not to cross the Blue Rail line’s track, which is slated to begin full commercial operations on Monday.
Gboyega Akosile, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, issued the warning in a tweet. The rail line is electrified, thus citizens should use the overhead bridges.
“Dear Lagosians, please be reminded as we kick off the commercial operations of the Lagos Blue Line Rail transport on Monday, that the rail line is electrified. Don’t cross the rail lines because it is dangerous.
“Use the overhead bridges that have been provided by the government. Thank you,” he wrote.
In a video clip accompanying Akosile’s tweet, the General Manager of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, Abimbola Akinajo, voiced concern over the rate at which people cut fences on the Blue Rail and dash across it.
“With regards to the operations of the Blue Line in particular, we all know that we have publicised that the Blue Line is going to be an electrified rail system. If you want to cross from one side to the other, you must use the overhead bridges.
“This is a necessity for all of us to understand and we have fenced all along the alignment for the Blue Line to ensure that people do not cross it. But what we see time and again is that people go there and they cut the fences and they run across.
“We have bothered to put pedestrian crossings; there is access for people with physical challenges, and therefore we have no reason to cross the track. So we just ask that people respect this and respect the rails because if we don’t, we will find ourselves in a very dire straits, ” she said.
The first section of the rail line connects Marina to Mile 2 and has five stations in Marina, National Theatre, Iganmu, Alaba, and Orile.
