New Lagos – Ibadan rail line ‘ll resolve Apapa gridlocks – FRSC

The Federal Road Safety Corps says the new Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge will bring succour to the perennial Apapa, Lagos State gridlocks when completed.

Hyginus Omeje, the Lagos State Sector Commander of the FRSC, disclosed this in an interview in Lagos on Monday.

Omeje said the new rail line would help to reduce the influx of articulated vehicles to Apapa and its environs.

He said: “The new Lagos-Ibadan rail line, when completed, will help us resolve Apapa gridlocks.

“The train will help in evacuating the containers in bulk instead of using trucks to pick them, thereby reducing traffic at the Apapa Port.”

According to him, one train can take about 20 to 30 containers off the Port to either Ogun State or Oyo State to decongest the Apapa community.

“Through that we can start having dry port somewhere in Ibadan, Ogun and other neighbouring states,” Omeje said.

The FRSC boss also said the development would reduce the number of trucks moving into Lagos on daily basis.

He said the project would also reduce the volume of traffic on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and this would otherwise curb crashes at the corridor.

Omeje advised drivers and other road users to drive safely and consider other road users to avoid crashes.

He appealed to the motorists to shun speed, drunk driving and other habits that could cause crashes on the road in the course of celebration.

The Nigeria Railway Corporation said it had commenced transporting containers from Apapa Port to Ebute Metta and Ijoko on the outskirts of Ogun State to ease gridlocks along Apapa axis in Lagos.

Jerry Oche, the NRC Lagos Railway District Manager, said the operations were initiated to ease congestion of articulated vehicles along Apapa Port.

Oche said the corporation had developed a time table for freight movements to either NRC Ebute Metta junction terminal or to Ijoko in Ogun.

He said: “We have concentrated on moving containers from Apapa to Ijoko to curb usual traffic along Apapa and its environs.

“We have time table and schedules for our two trips of 20 containers each per day.

“About 40 containers were being transported to Ebute Metta terminal on daily basis to keep off trailers, trucks and all articulated vehicles from the road.”

According to Oche, apart from ship, train mass transit has the capacity to transport freight from area to another without delay or damage.

He said the corporation had discussed with three stakeholders dealing with freight at Apapa Port on the new services by the NRC.

Oche said the freight shuttle services would reduce accidents and reduce the heavy traffic caused by articulated vehicles due to break down along the roads.

The district manager said that the shuttle services would also go beyond Ijoko and be extended to Kajola and other terminus along Abeokuta axis.

It would recalled that Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transportation, had said the Federal Government was committed to deliver the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge project by December this year.

Amaechi disclosed this at Papalanto in Ogun State during his monthly visit and oversight functions at the constructions site on December 12, 2017.

According to him, the government is urging the Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company to fast-track the project for the benefit of the people by 2018.