Lagos Signs MoU With Transport Unions To Launch Bus Industry Transition Programme

OLORUNDARE ENIMOLA, Lagos

The Lagos State Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) to officially commence the Bus Industry Transition Programme (BITP), a major initiative aimed at modernising public transportation across the state.

The agreement, signed on Wednesday by the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) and the leadership of the two transport unions, marks a significant step in the state’s efforts to reform and formalise the public transport sector.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr. Olawale Musa, described the BITP as a legacy project designed to bridge the gap between the formal and informal transport sectors.

He said the programme would be implemented gradually to transform public transportation in Lagos, urging transport unions to actively support and participate in its successful implementation.

According to him, the initiative is aimed at making public transportation safer, more efficient and convenient for residents of the state.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of LAMATA, Engr. Abimbola Akinajo, said the Bus Industry Transition Programme is designed to modernise and formalise the state’s informal public transport system by integrating existing transport operators into a more structured and regulated framework.

She called on members of the transport unions to embrace the initiative, noting that their cooperation would be critical to achieving a more efficient, sustainable and reliable transport system across Lagos.

In their separate remarks, the Chairman of the NURTW in Lagos State, Alhaji Mustapha Adekunle Sego, and the Chairman of RTEAN, Comrade Samson Ajala Adepeju, welcomed the initiative and pledged the full support of their unions.

The union leaders assured the Lagos State Government of their commitment to ensuring the smooth implementation and overall success of the Bus Industry Transition Programme.

The BITP is expected to strengthen collaboration between government agencies and transport operators while advancing the state’s vision of a safer, more organised and integrated public transportation system.