Lagos secures NURTW, RTEAN support for Bus Industry Transition Programme
The Lagos State Government has secured the support of the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) for its Bus Industry Transition Programme (BITP) following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at reforming public transportation in the state.
The agreement is expected to facilitate the integration of informal commercial transport operators, including the iconic yellow danfo buses, into a regulated and modern public transport network under the Bus Industry Transition Programme being implemented by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).
Speaking at the signing ceremony on Wednesday, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Olawale Musa, described the agreement as the beginning of a new era for public transportation, saying it reflects the commitment of the state government and transport stakeholders to building a safer, more efficient and sustainable transport system.
The MoU, signed by Lagos State officials and representatives of both unions, provides the framework for transitioning bus operations across the state’s eight Quality Bus Corridors and forms the basis for granting operating franchises under the new system.
Under the agreement, the unions will adopt a cooperative governance model to help members transition into franchise operators, while fare collection will become fully digital. LAMATA will regulate operations across all approved routes.
Four Quality Bus Corridors currently under development include Iju-Ishaga–Abule Egba, Ketu–Alapere–Akanimodo, Iyana-Iba–Igando–Iyana-Ipaja and Ojuelegba–Lawanson–Cele.
LAMATA Managing Director, Abimbola Akinajo, said the agreement was the product of more than 30 months of engagement with the transport unions, expressing confidence that the initiative would become a model for other cities seeking to modernise public transportation.
“Formalization should not be construed as strangulation. When we collaborate, the result will be formidable and capable of being replicated across other parts of Nigeria and in cities around the world that are seeking to formalize their public transport operations,” she said.
