Lagos – The Lagos State Government on Tuesday said
it would leave no stone unturned to attract investors through the
reduction of traffic congestion in the state.
Mr Steve Ayorinde, the state’s Commissioner for Information and
Strategy, disclosed this in Lagos at the maiden edition of the Lagos Traffic
Radio Lecture Series, themed: “Migrating Workforce: The Challenges of
Mass Transportation’’.
“This administration is determined to make Lagos State and investor’s
delight, a place where every investor gets its money’s worth.
“For this to become a reality, the traffic situation must be well
managed, a task which the traffic radio is wholly committed to
fulfilling.
“For us to accomplish the free flow of traffic in a megalopolis state
like Lagos, we all have significant roles to play; we must obey
traffic regulations as well as comply with traffic rules.
“LASTMA officials are our brothers and sisters; we must cooperate
with them in order to keep Lagos traffic moving.’’
Ayorinde said that the lecture series was informed by the need for
regular interface of ideas by stakeholders in the transportation
sector.
He said it was to profer solution to the ever increasing traffic
challenges in the state.
In his remark, the state’s Commissioner of Transport, Mr Ekundayo
Mobereola, said about 7.5 million dollars was lost to traffic gridlock
in Lagos daily.
According to him, uneven urban growth and development, inadequate
transport infrastructure, limited alternatives to vehicular
transportation, and lack of high capacity vehicles are responsible for
the traffic gridlock.
“All of these lead to chronic traffic congestion and this contribute
to noise and air pollution in Lagos,’’ he said.
Mobereola said that his ministry had collaborated with the state’s
Ministry of Physical Planning over years, to utilise the Land Use to
prepare a master plan to curb the menace.
“We identified all the areas where the Lagos State plans to develop
either residential, commercial, social activities that that are going
to generate trips or traffic.
“We have come to realise that if we don’t plan with the land use we
are just going to be shooting ourselves in the foot.
“That has given us opportunity to come up with a strategic transport
master plan for Lagos.’’ (NAN)
