Danfos are here to stay - Lagos govt partners NURTW to fix Lagos transportation

The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) says its collaboration with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and other transport unions is beginning to pay off in transforming the city’s chaotic transport system.

Speaking on Channels TV’s Sunrise programme on Saturday, LAMATA Managing Director, Abimbola Akinajo, dismissed talks of phasing out the iconic yellow buses, ‘Danfos’, as well as the smaller buses infamously called ‘Korope’, stressing that they remain central to daily movement and commute in the metropolitan city of Lagos.

“It is not about throwing away what exists. We work with the yellow buses because if you do not interact with them, you cannot speak of regulation; they are the ones who carry the majority of people in Lagos,” she said.

Akinajo explained that the Bus Industry Transition Programme is designed to integrate both the formal and informal sectors of transport in the state. According to her, LAMATA understands the concerns of transporters, while transport unions now better understand the need for proper regulation.

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She revealed that unions have been running Lagos’ transit hub for decades, and as such, it is detrimental to phase them out of the system completely. Instead, the Lagos state government has begun work to further integrate them into the grand transportation scheme of the state.

“These are people who have run transportation in Lagos for years. What Lagos is doing is working with them, ensuring that they begin to understand what regulated service means. We’re already seeing dividends from this partnership,” Akinajo added.