Mr. Babatunde Gbadamosi of the Action Democratic Party, ADP, says the amount of revenue lost in Lagos State due to traffic gridlock was unconscionable.
He identified an efficient rail line as the main solution to the perennial gridlock plaguing the state.
Responding to a question on the inability of successive governments to solve the gridlock, especially in the Apapa axis of Lagos state and how he would tackle it if elected to govern the state, he said, “There are a number of ways to tackle this problem. The most obvious one is rail. Secondly, barges to lift containers from the actual wharfs and take them to lighter terminals all around Lagos, and, thirdly, devolution of powers. It’s time we started this discussion about devolution of power.
“The level of revenue that has been lost due to the gridlock is unconscionable.
“I’m not having it, So, the first thing we are going to do is to copy the Ethiopians and build a heavy rail line, the length of Lagos State, all the way from Badagry to Ode Omi with branches going up to every exit point by road of Lagos.”
Gbadamosi also noted that Apapa being the area worst hit by traffic in the state was among the eight local governments captured under his Lagos Integrated Regeneration Plan.
“We are going to be pouring the money that AlphaBeta is currently taking to make sure that we regenerate such areas,” he said.
The ADP candidate who is also a real estate developer, had earlier chosen decongestion of traffic as a priority for him if he gets into office and he intends to tackle it simultaneously with the pay of public servants.
“We are going to be looking at traffic simultaneously, at the same time with public sector pay. We are going to be looking at the traffic situation because we are spending too many hours in traffic,” he said.
In his estimation, every Lagosian spends an average of six hours every day going to work and back.
Part of his plans to tackle the issue is water transport.
“We are going to introduce high volume, high-speed passenger ferries across Lagos,” he said.
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Gbadamosi stated that he had not been in government or handled public funds but his private sector experience would help him govern the state effectively.
“Very much like Alhaji Lateef Jakande, I am coming in from the cold. I have never been in government, I have never been a banker, I have never handled public finances at all.
“I am coming in from the private sector. I have built an estate, pretty much in the model of what I plan to build in Lagos State, provided infrastructure, provided power for the last eight years non-stop, provided water for the last eight years non-stop, built a network of roads and drains and somehow, despite being in the Lekki Peninsular area, I avoided being flooded out,” he said while introducing himself.
