The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the recently launched transportation scheme – First and Last Mile (FLM) – would adopt an electronic payment system to “ensure seamless mobility within the transport system.”
He disclosed this on Tuesday at the launch of the first phase of the mini buses (500 units).
Sanwo-Olu said that the buses would ply 286 routes within the state, serving as an alternative to the familiar okada and keke napep.
The governor noted that okada riders constituted a “menace” and that they were a “security threat”, adding that the introduction of the minibuses would address those issues.
He stated that commuters who already possess the Cowry Travel Cards – used in payment of BRT fares – could also use them with the FLM buses.
Sanwo-Olu said, “Today, we launched 500 units of First and Last Mile (FLM) buses and 100 high and medium capacity buses for standard routes.
“The FLM buses will serve 286 identified routes within our communities as an alternative to addressing the menace and security threat constituted by Okada riders.
“FLM buses are safe and convenient as commuters will be able to use Cowry Travel Cards – an automated payment system already in use for BRT buses.
“We have delineated the FLM bus corridors into eight zones, comprising Ikeja and Ketu (Zone 1), Oshodi, Mushin, and Surulere (Zone 2), Berger, Yaba and Oyingbo (Zone 3) and Lagos Island, Ajah and Ibeju Lekki (Zone 4).
“Others are Iyana-ipaja and Agege (Zone 5), Mile 2, Iyana-Iba and Ajeromi (Zone 6), Ikorodu (Zone 7) and Epe and Badagry (Zone 8).”
He added that in the coming days, the state government would increase the number of the FLM buses to 5,000.
While the Lagos Bus Service Limited (LBSL) would also receive an additional 100 “brand new high and medium capacity buses into the fleet of Lagos Bus Service Limited (LBSL) to replace vehicles burnt at BRT stations during the wave of violence last October.”
He added, “The launch of the FLM Bus Scheme is an important milestone in our quest to achieving the intermodal transport system which gives our teeming population the choices they deserve, reducing congestion and journey times, and improving the quality of life.”
