BY MIKE OCHONMA
In a strategic move to cushion the effect of growing public transportation needs of commuters, plans are in the pipeline by the Lagos state government to set establish an assembly plant for electric buses, the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said.
The announcement is part of moves by the state government towards embracing the future of mobility and closing the gap in the transport needs of commuters.
Governor disclosed this while announcing the arrival of the first set of electric buses on Sunday.
According to the state governor: “I am excited to announce the first set of electric buses in the Lagos Mass Transit Master Plan as part of our increased effort to modernise every sector of Lagos. Thanks to our partnership with Oando plc, Lagosians can expect a cleaner and greener public transportation system.
With the ability to travel 280km at full charge, taking into account our unique travel times in Lagos, our electric buses are a game-changer. With an average daily usage of 200km by existing BRTs, there is no need to fear that the buses can stop while in transit.
The new electric buses will not only reduce carbon emissions but will also increase efficiency. This means that Lagosians can say goodbye to high fuel costs and hello to cost-efficient transportation.
“We shall be running a pilot scheme over the next few months to gather sufficient data required to analyse the operational efficiencies relative to the current BRT buses to further improve our public transport service”. The governor said.
Sanwo Olu noted that, the collaboration is a testament to the state government’s commitment to creating a sustainable future for Lagos.
“We understand the need for charging stations to power our electric buses, which is why we are partnering with Oando Clean Energy Limited to strategically place Universal Chargers at public places like malls and gas stations. We also plan to establish an Assembly Plant for Electric Buses in the near future”
Sanwo-Olu declared that the move is just the beginning of efforts by the state government to transform Lagos into an even smarter city as it continues to increase the fleet of electric vehicles, further modernizing the Lagos transportation system.
