Lagos State To Introduce Cable Car Mass Transit System By 2015

A cable car company, Ropeways Transport Limited, is set to launch a cable car mass urban transit system in the nation’s commercial capital, Lagos.

This followed the signing of a 30-year Franchise Agreement between Ropeways Transport Limited, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) and the Lagos State Government recently.

Under the terms of the Agreement, Ropeways Transport will in November begin the construction of towers, stations and connecting network cables along various routes covered in the fi rst phase of the project, namely, Ijora – Iddo, Iddo – Adeniji, Apapa – Oluwole, Oluwole – Adeniji, Adeniji – Obalende, Obalende – Falomo, and Falomo – Victoria Island. The project is expected to be fully completed and commissioned by early 2015.

Speaking on this development, the Chief Executive Offi cer of Ropeways Transport Limited, Capt. Dapo Olumide expressed his belief that the Lagos cable car transit system would provide an alternative means of mass transportation in the city as it will help ease the current transportation hassles in Lagos and help restore dignity to commuting because the current situation hampers economic development within the city and negatively impacts the quality of life of its residents. “By complementing existing transport modes, the Lagos Cable Car Transit System will play its part in reducing the traffi c congestion in the city” he said.

According to him, studies show that Lagos will become the world’s 3rd largest city with 25million inhabitants by 2015, with approximately 12 million daily passenger movements and trips in the Lagos Metropolitan Area, set to increase at a rate of six per cent per annum. “The existing metropolitan highway infrastructure is severely constrained, with journeys to and from work within the city regularly exceeding three hours.