FCT rail transport to generate huge revenue, says Minister 

The rail transportation of the Federal Capital Territory has been tagged a huge revenue generation project which had the potential of fast-tracking the development of Abuja and generate a huge revenue for government when it becomes operational in 2017.

The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, expressed this optimism on Tuesday, while receiving a delegation of Nigeria

Infrastructure Advisory Facility (NIAF) led by its Technical Team Leader, Mr. Michael Mutter, who were in his office to make presentation on public transportation in the territory.

He said that the entire rail system, from the signalling, powering, managing the investments on the rail corridor and, of course, the various rail stations, were all aspects of the system that were very significant in terms of investments with huge potential for revenue generation.

Bello specifically stated that the transit-oriented development, which had the capacity to service over 1.5 million people daily along the eastern and western corridors of the FCT, including the feeder system along the Karshi/Nyanya axis, would play a very significant role in the city.

His words: “It’s something that I find very interesting. We are talking of areas of almost 1.5 million people, if you look at the eastern and western corridors, including the feeder system and the Karshi-Nyanya axis. I’m sure other feeder systems will also come in the areas not captured here”.

The Minister, who noted that the administration was working to avoid some of the pitfalls it encountered in the management of the bus system, said a lot of work had been done in the rail transportation policy with all the other related items captured in the draft paper that had been sent to the National Assembly.

While appreciating the support the FCT Administration has been receiving from NIAF, the Minister assured that his Administration would support the international donor agency to achieve more results.

He, however, called on NIAF to help in carrying out a study by giving attention to the satellite towns in terms of transportation to better the lives of residents dwelling in such areas.

The Minister emphasised that his administration intended to give attention to the provision of basic infrastructure in the satellite towns, considering the huge population resident in such places.

He urged NIAF to take a closer look at the operations of the Abuja Urban Mass Transit Company (AUMTCO), so as to give professional advice on how to improve upon their services, because efficient mass transportation was very significant to the smooth running of every municipality.

Speaking further on the challenges facing the operation of Bus Rapid Transit system in the FCT, the Minister lamented that its maintenance has been quite stressful, owing to the quality of the buses, as well their suitability for the terrain on which they were operating.

“Even if the buses were up and doing, we’ve realised that the way the company is structured now, their revenue stream cannot pay for their expenses. So, these are the challenges that we are facing”, he added.

“On the Central Business District to Masaka corridor, I’ve read some reports from the FCT Engineering Department, from Federal Road Safety Commission, as well as the Federal Ministry of

Transportation, the general feeling is that the road as presently designed is not wide enough to meet up on the requirements of BRT operation. It’s not as wide as the 10 lanes that we have on the Kubwa and Airport Expressways. These are areas that people have raised concerns”, he stressed.

“But, in overall, I’m so pleased that we are relating and partnering with a very reputable organisation like yours, with the full support of the UK AID and also the government of the United Kingdom”, the Minister remarked.

Mr. Michael Mutter said that the project was funded by the British government through the Department for International Development but implemented by Adam Smith International.

Mr. Mutter revealed that NIAF had been able to undertake the review of the Legal and Regulatory Framework for the provision of BMT in the FCT; Drafting the Template Bus Operator Licence; Travel Demand Surveys, as well as establishment of a Rail Safety Regulatory Unit.