The Lagos State government has reiterated its readiness to integrate mini and midi buses, popularly known as ‘korope’ and ‘danfo’, operating along the Lekki-Ajah axis into the state’s Bus Reform Initiative.
In a statement on Thursday by the Director of Public Affairs, Ministry of Transport, Bolanle Ogunlola, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, disclosed this on Wednesday during a meeting with relevant stakeholders in Alausa.
He explained that the project is in its planning phase and will commence once all arrangements are finalised.
Reviewing the progress made so far, Giwa revealed that the documentation process for bus operators interested in the scheme is ongoing, with 10 operators having submitted letters of intent to the Ministry of Transportation, of which six have already been confirmed.
He further stated that all participating buses will undergo physical verification by the Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) and Motor Vehicle Administration Agency (MVAA) to ensure their roadworthiness and proper documentation. Once verified, the buses will be branded in the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) colours and equipped with validators.
Giwa noted that a framework is being developed to integrate union dues deductions into the e-ticketing system while also addressing the activities of hoodlums who extort transporters along the axis.
He stressed that the initiative will be test-run for three months before full enforcement. He said that once the programme is implemented, minibuses (korope) will no longer be allowed to operate along the Lekki-Ajah expressway but will be deployed to inner routes and communities.
Present at the meeting were the Permanent Secretary of MVAA, Mr Rasheed Muri-Okunola; General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki; representatives from LAMATA, LASDRI, VIS, and directors from the Ministry of Transport, amongst others.
