13th March, 2024
Residents of Ojokoro in Ojokoro Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State have called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to build more pedestrian bridges on the Red Line Rail Corridor.
The Red Line Rail runs from Agbado to Marina with 13 stations at Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, MMIA International, MMIA Domestic, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, Ebute meta, Iddo, Ebute Ero and Marina.
The Ojokoro residents spoke through the Baale of Karaole Ojokoro Land, Gorge Dada Cole in a letter to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu dated 11 March, 2024.
Cole said as done on the corridor of the Blue Rail Line, enough crossover pedestrian bridges should be erected at various strategic locations on the Red Line corridor so as to safeguard it from vandals, and those who see “the lines as their bed rooms and toilets.”
Cole commended Sanwo-Olu for the massive Lagos Blue and Red Line Rail projects, saying the rail projects would help free Lagos of the embarrassing traffic congestion.
He said with such massive achievement, Sanwo-Olu has been able to bring to fruition the effort and vision of past leaders as envisaged by late Lateef Jakande.
“It is therefore encouraging that your Excellency has taken the bull by the horns on the need to free Lagos of traffic congestion occasioned by inadequate and ineffective network and unenforced/robust traffic or transport laws for a state that is constantly developing on daily basis.
“What entails in many developed and advanced countries and cities can actually happen in Lagos if your excellency could sustain the tempo of your hard work through more deployment of resources, interest and strategy on the challenges at hand,” he said.
Cole added that while work should be sustained to ensure the effective management and maintenance of the Blue Line rail till it reaches it planned destination, enough work should be done to complete the massive road network in that axis with the attached BRT lanes.
He said with the commissioning of the Red Line commercial rail project, Sanwo-Olu has succeeded in opening window where the much talked about Greater Lagos that is Rising could be viewed.
“Apart from the huge resources the state stands to benefit in the operations of the rail networks, the massive numbers of people that the rail will be moving from one end of the state to the other without any interference, traffic or unauthorized stoppage truly deserved to be applauded and celebrated.
“By the full operations of the rail projects, I believe many roads will be relieved but the state needs to be proactive in the new ongoing work which requires urgently the conclusion of works for the start of the 4th Mainland Bridge and the rehabilitation of existing road networks across the state,” he said.