Lagos State Government in Southwest Nigeria has announced that commercial operations of the Blue Line Rail would commence September 4th, 2023.
The Managing Director of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Abimbola Akinajo, announced the Marina terminal, Lagos.
Akinajo while interacting with the journalists on the move said the commercial operations of the first phase of the project would commence officially on Monday at 9:00 am, with the State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the first passenger.
I am delighted to announce that the long-awaited Blue Line Rail will begin commercial operations on Monday September 4, 2023 from Marina to Mile 2 as we put #LagosOnTrack.
Join me at 9am at Marina Station as we become the first passengers of this important project that will… pic.twitter.com/fGtpqZnGSV
— Babajide Sanwo-Olu (@jidesanwoolu) August 30, 2023
The LAMATA Boss explained that the maximum price for a trip from Marina to Mile-2 would be N750, mentioning that with the palliative declared by Governor Sanwo-Olu on a 50 per cent slash in government-regulated public transportation, commuters would in the interim pay N375.
Mr. Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu would be the first passenger when operations commence.
At a press conference, Mrs. Akinajo disclosed that operations would commence 6.30am till 10am during morning peak hours and 4pm to 10pm during afternoon and evening hours.— Lagos MetropolitanArea Transport Authority LAMATA (@MetroLagos) August 30, 2023
She stressed that the timetable would be strictly followed, stating that the system would operate through the electronic Cowry Cards and not ticketing.
“The operations which would run daily, morning and evening, would commence 6:30 am to about 10:30 am and 4:30 pm to about 9:00 pm and the system would maintain 76 trips daily, as it would be used solely to the State and that the Red Line Rail would be completed before the end of the year,“ she said.
Akinajo maintained that the rail tracks would be energised with electricity, warning commuters not to cross the tracks, as she assured them of their safety at all times.
