As part of it’s aim at cutting down greenhouse gases and replacing it with cleaner sources of energy, the governor of Lagos State South West Nigeria Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has announced the arrival of the first set of electric buses for the state’s mass transit scheme.
The governor made the announcement on Sunday via his Twitter handle.
“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,” he tweeted.
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 governor said the new electric buses will reduce carbon emissions and 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,” he said.
Speaking on how the electric buses will be charged, Mr Sanwo-Olu said the government will partner 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.”
The governor who promised to increase the fleet of electric vehicles in the state said that the move is part of the government’s effort to transform the state into a smart city.
BACKGROUND:
April 28, 2022, Oando Clean Energy Limited (OCEL) & Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) signed an MoU to enable the deployment of Electric buses and other supporting infrastructure towards attaining a sustainable road transport system in Lagos State.
Oando Clean Energy Limited is the renewable energy subsidiary of Oando Energy Resources (OER), their agenda is to meet the continent’s energy demands by harnessing renewable sources, & investing in climate-friendly and bankable energy projects in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
PROJECT AIM: This is a commitment of both LASG and Oando to cut down greenhouse gases by replacing it with cleaner sources of energy. This initiative will accelerate the Government Transportation Agenda and positively impact the health of Lagosians and the environment in general.
SCHEME: This initiative is still at the Pilot Stage, a lot of data gathering will still be done in comparison with the existing BRT system, this means few electric buses will be added to the BRT fleet, it will carry passengers normally, use BRT Lane, Cowry card etc.
CAPACITY & SECURITY: Each Bus has 3 CCTV Cameras in it, It has a capacity to carry 40 Passengers and has room for standing too to accommodate more. There is also a ramp (for wheelchair) for People Living with Disabilities (PWDs).
MAINTENANCE: As Stated earlier, the buses being used for this Pilot Scheme will be moving from the normal Facility where BRTs are maintained, only basic maintenance will be needed (tyre change etc), the vehicle has no radiator or regular engines like the normal BRT bus.
FUTURE: Once the Pilot Scheme shows all the positive signs as expected, asides from bringing more buses into the fleet of the regular BRTs, there are plans to establish an Assembly Plant for Electric Buses in future in this our Lagos State.
