An Update Into The Lagos Light Rail Projects: The Sights, The Feels And The Vibes

The Lagos Light Rail Project may go in history as the longest time ever taken to complete a rail in Africa and even if possible in the world. Its almost getting to 13 years and nothing tangible can be said of this project. The contractors are still at Eko Bridge battling with the pillars while the ones at Orile, Mile 2, Iganmu are been taken over by hoodlums and street traders.

The Lagos Rail Mass Transit is an urban rail system being developed and under construction in Lagos. The system is being managed by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) and is envisioned to consist eventually of seven lines. The railway equipment including electric power, signaling, rolling stock, and fare collection equipment will be provided by the private sector under a Concession Contract. LAMATA is responsible for policy direction, regulation, and infrastructure for the network.

The first section of the network, Phase I of the Blue Line, was originally planned to be completed in 2011. After many delays caused by funding shortfalls, the opening date was revised to 2022.

The mass transit rail project called the Blue Line awarded to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation had suffered many delays due to the paucity of funds and other challenges. The Lagos Light Rail started 2008, same time Ethiopia started its railway and so far, they have been at the same location for the past four years.

For some of us who ply through Eko-Bridge, Leventis and Apogbon area regularly, you must have noticed some giant beams which are built close to the main bridge. The bridge belongs to the Lagos Light Rail, this is the carriage for the train that will stop at CMS.

In an exclusive reportage monitored by AutoReportNG, we took a trip from Idumota all through the location of this construction to see how they were working and we can report that work is truly on-going but at a slow pace. The spokesman of CCECC while talking on CCTV News said the challenges they are having with the bridge has to do with the strong current and waves from the ocean. According to him, the waves are strong that they wash anything they placed on it, he said, they were only able to work for 20minutes in a day. The waves are calmer during the evening period which they had to rush to quickly work before night comes.

AutoReportNG observed that some of the infrastructures that are already completed like those in Mile 2, Orile, Iganmu are already decaying, some have turned to a hideout for criminals as no one uses them save for mad people who have turned the place to home. Orile, for instance, has turned to a place where the miscreants sleep at night, the under bridge has to turn to refuse dumb among others. Even those at Ijora Olopa en route CMS are still there with nothing going on with them.

It will be recalled that in August 2018, LAMATA signed an agreement with Alstom. As a part of the agreement, Alstom has conducted a review of the rail lines. After the review of the rail project, which should have initiated passenger activity, the state government said the Blue Line, would now be ready for passenger operation by 2022. This deal also plans for the electrification of a portion of the track.

Now that Lagos has a new governor, we hope this will be taken care of as soon as possible and also be a major front burner for him but it seems Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu might not be ready to shoulder the weight of the Lagos Light Rail at least for now.

These are some of the images we got from our tour right from the spot at Eko Bridge close to Leventis at CMS.

This is the prototype 

Obalende Under Bridge: A Place Where People Eat, Sleep And Sell In Filthiness - Photos

This is Obalende underbridge also called the McGregor Canal. Obalende is not new to people that have been in Lagos for quite some time, Obalende, despite being a specific location to commuters who rely on public transportation come to Obalende as it has closer boundaries to some places like the Victoria Island, it also serves a part of the Business Districts because this road leads to places like Ikoyi, Banana Island, Ajah, Lekki among others.

As strategic as this place is, its quite unfortunate that the drainage, the surroundings, roads do not make it look fit for the position it carries. For example, the Obalende underbridge is nothing to write about. AutoReportNG team passed through Obalende and we noticed some graphic images which may not only embarrass the state governor but begs for a question as to who are those in charge of these departments and why do we have to wait until we are called out to do our job?

Obalende underbridge is home to many homeless guys also called street urchins or area boys as we call them in Nigeria. These folks sleep under the bridge, they eat, bath and defecate into the canal, so bad is it that when they finished eating, they throw the remnant into the same canal, when you walk through the bridge, you will find series of dirt from disposable packs to pure water sachets, to bottles among many others all littered around and inside the drainage. It will be recalled that in September, people from the ministry of environment came to pack the dirt in just a segment of this bridge, you can read the story here. As good as this may look, its quite disappointing after almost 3 months they have packed dirt from the canal, they left the dirt at the corridor of the canal, this means that once the dirt get dirt, they returned back to the same drainage, one wondered why they refused to call on LAWMA to pack this dirt away.

Related: See What Joe Igbokwe And His Team Are Doing At McGregor Canal, Obalende, Lagos

Another eyesore is when you crossed to the other side as if you are going towards Onikan and Awolowo using the same route, you will wonder how people cope in this place despite the place being close to police barracks and Police Headquarters, God bless you that pass the place anytime its 8pm, you either get robbed or get injured. The people there have turned the canal to all sorts of filthiness, for example, starting from the beginning of the road, you will see series of faeces, nylons, disposable packs among others, it's always very worse when it rains as everywhere will be smelling of urine and faeces most times.

One major highlight of this bridge is a certain man who covered himself with dirt. A close look suggests he might be one of those scavengers who pick from the dumpsites, he eats, sleeps and drinks in this dirt, he covered himself with nylons, bottles picked from God knows where, brooms, etc in fact, he used to pick potatoes, onions and other materials from which people normally come for them, we can't tell if they are for sale or not but this calls for strict scrutiny from the health ministry.

Obalende is a vital location that must not be allowed to be destroyed by some few homeless touts who don't care about protocol and ethics.

One then wonders what is the work of the SSA on drainage, Mr Joe Igbokwe? Does he go out to see things for himself? Has he received reports from this place? He posted the images of his men clearing the Obalende bridge in September, did he ask if they properly disposed of the dirt removed from the canal? What are the duties of LAWMA? Do we need to write to them before doing the needful in keeping Lagos tidy? These and more beg for questions from people who are at the helm of affairs. It is true that the governor is not omnipresent and that's why he has appointed aides to be his eyes and help him but when they refuse to do their job, he will take the blame. This is calling on the governor to do an assessment of this place and do the needful.

Read: Obalende BRT Park: Bad Maintenance Culture or Sheer Wickedness?

The former governor of Lagos State, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode was about transforming this place into a park before he left office, in fact, landscape work has begun, the drawing, the barricade has been done until when everything stopped. If the present governor can continue from there, not only will be this place be safe for road users, it will be a conducive place for relaxation and fun place for the residents of these communities
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It will be recalled that Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu on assumption into office signed an executive order looking into the dirt issue in Lagos and traffic congestion.

These are pictures of this bridge, we need to warm that some of these pictures may look a bit uncomfortable.

See Also: #TrashChallenge: See What Young Nigerians Are Doing With Trash In Their Areas