Fashola Commissions 1,200 Cabs

May 26, 2009 14:41 (2 hours ago), 151 views

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Lagos state governor, Babatunde Fashola, this morning, commissioned additional 1,200 modern cabs to boost transportation in the state.

The governor had, last year, commissioned 250 modern cabs as part of the plan to take transportation in the state to the next level. During this commissioning, six companies were granted licences to operate the taxi scheme. One of the prerequisites for the granting of the licences was that each of the operators should have a minimum of 200 cabs in its fleet. Speaking at the commissioning, the Commissioner for Transportation, Prof. Bamidele Badejo, said Fashola had expanded the horizon of public transportation in the state with the granting of licences to private investors to commence regulated taxi system and car hire services.

He urged the operators to abide by the rules and regulations guiding taxi operations and car hire services in the state as well as all traffic laws that are applicable on Lagos public roads. “Let me reiterate that government is ready to provide an enabling environment for public-private participation to thrive in the provision of services and infrastructure to support the new Lagos of our dream,” he said. The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Joke Orelope-Adefilure, stated that Lagos, being the commercial nerve centre of the country, definitely needs to embrace genuine initiatives directed at enhancing its Mega-City status, adding that this explains why the state government decided to support the initiative of the Lagos State Taxi Drivers and Cab Operators Association to acquire new vehicles.

She said that the state believes the project is a way of empowering the people with the task of alleviating poverty in the state. She disclosed that N2 billion would be given out by the state government as micro-credit scheme to alleviate the plight of the people who would have access to loans to start up their businesses, adding that government would continue to provide the enabling environment in all their daily pursuits, while expecting that they would in turn reciprocate the gesture through prompt payment of their taxes.