…Sanwo-Olu to be first passenger
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos is expected to be the first passenger on board as the state government has announced its readiness to commence commercial train operations on Monday, September 4.
The inaugural trip will commence at 9am from the Marina Station of the Blue Line Rail.
Abimbola Akinajo, Managing Director, Lagos State Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, LAMATA, who disclosed this on Wednesday during a press briefing and test-run of the train with the media, added that the Blue Line Rail will move from Marina to Mile 2.
Akianjo said that from Tuesday, partial passenger operations will start from 6:30am to 10am. (Morning peak) the afternoon Peak, from 4pm to 9:30pm, adding that “these operations will start with 12 trips for two weeks, which will be ramped up to 76 trips per day.”
The LAMATA boss, however, said that the will passenger operation on Blue Light Rail will commence with about 175 passengers on daily basis.
Akinajo, who noted that LAMATA had been conveying passengers free on board the train since the inauguration in December 2022, added, that over 2,000 passenger had enjoyed the ride so far.
Akianjo said: “We committed to start operations in August but we waited still September 1, 2023, to ensure operational modalities and that the safety of our passengers is guaranteed.
“We are commencing operations on September 4, 2023, with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu inaugural boarding by 9:a:m,” Akinajo said.
She said that the rail would commence operation by 6:30a:m till 10:p:m on daily basis.
The LAMATA boss said that the train would run 12 trips on daily basis, adding that the train would start from Mile 2 to Marina.
She said that the train would stop on every station along Marina and Mile 2 such as National Theater, Iganmu-Orile, while the train would spend five minutes on each bus-stop.
“The train will stop at every journey to enable passengers to be familiar with it.
“Passenger should use the cowry cards to board the train and the POS service provider will be available for their services.
“Passenger can only tap at the gate entrance, which will give them access to climb the staircase and entre the train.
“The etiquette of boarding the train is to allow the train passengers to get down first before entering into the train. We will be servicing the train twice a day and we will also be testing the train on daily basis.
“We are staring the trips with over 30 trips daily and we are working towards achieving 76 turn-around time on daily basis. We intend to increase the turn around time after four weeks of the commencement,” Akinajo said.
The LAMATA MD urged passengers not to pass through the track for their safety, saying that the track would be energised.
Akinajo, who advised everyone not to cross the train until the train gets to the stations, added that it would stop for no more than 90 seconds at each station.
She assured passengers of many customers services and agents around the train stations to assist them.
Akinajo said that they had trained all the staff that would commence the train operation.
She said that the Commissioner of Police had deployed Police officers to work with them, adding that passengers most not drink and eat in the train.
She said that the train fare cost N750 from Marina to Mile 2,N500 from Marina to National Theatre and N400 to Iganmu-Orile as a result of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s measures to cushion effect of fuel subsidy removal.
Akinajo added that consequently, passengers would pay N375 from Mile 2 to Marina, N250 and N200 respectively.
