Lagos State Acting Commissioner of Transportation, Prince Anofiu Elegushi has assured inter-state transport companies currently operating from Jibowu and Yaba axis that the space allocated for their relocation at Ojota Park was more than enough to accommodate them.

Speaking on the planned relocation recently, Elegushi said efforts are ongoing to re-arrange the Ojota Park for proper utilisation of the available space, saying that operators only need to approach the government for allocation of space to continue their operations at the Park.

While justifying the ban, Elegushi maintained that there are two basic reasons for the ban saying, “The first has to do with the transport policy of removing inter-state vehicles from Lagos metropolis and taking them a little bit to the outskirts of Lagos so that buses with other colours will not come into the State and run intra-city transport”.

The second, he said, has to do with the Master Plan of the state and there is no provision in the plan for such operation in Jibowu and Yaba axis.

“Most of the buildings the inter-state operators are using were formerly residential and we know the effect of their operation on the traffic and public infrastructure in the axis. If you look at the big buses, they don’t have enough clearance that will accommodate their turning radius and that is the reason for the damage to the public infrastructure,” the Commissioner explained.

He revealed that the state government has already embarked on the construction of modern inter-state bus terminals at Ojota and Ojodu-Berger with plans to construct more in Epe, Badagry and other areas of the State.

Also, the Chairman of Lagos State branch of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede on Tuesday said the inter-state transport park at Odo-Iyaalaro in Ojota is now ready to receive the operators banned along Ikorodu Road.

Speaking through the Secretary of Ojota Main Garage branch, Comrade Francis Olasanoye, Agbede said after the state government issued the ban, concerted efforts have been made by the government in partnership with the union to prepare the Ojota Park, and that all was now set for the inter-state operators to relocate.

“Last Friday, the Acting Commissioner of Transportation, Prince Anofiu Elegushi visited this area with the state chairman and we have cleared the new place where those affected by the ban will be operating from. We are fully ready to receive them and want to thank the state government and Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for this development,” he said.

Last week, the Lagos State Government banned the inter-state transporters from Jibowu and Yaba, issuing a seven-day ultimatum to the operators to relocate to the designated inter-state motor parks at Ojodu Berger and Ojota, after which stiff sanction would apply to defaulters.