By Akinwale Kasali
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has given new lease of life to the popular Danfo Bus Owners and Drivers. He has rescinded the earlier decision of his Government to take the buses off the road.
The decision cancels the submission of the Commissioner for Transportation, Frederick Oladeinde who, in February 2021, said the retention and continued use of the yellow buses did not argur well with the transportation master plan of the State. Governor Sanwo-Olu thinks otherwise.
The yellow buses will no longer be scrapped, and taken off Lagos State roads.
The Governor said they are also major stakeholders in the State and it won’t be fair taking away their means of livelihood.
Speaking on a Channels Television Political Programme, Politics Today, with Seyi Okinbaloye, the Governor said the Danfo buses have become part and parcel of the State’s residents, making it practically impossible to phase them out.
Sanwo-olu disclosed that instead of taking the buses off the road, the State Government would remodel them and give them a contemporary outlook and feel that meet modern standards.
“It will be unfair for us. These are important stakeholders. They served our citizens. They served Lagosians for a long time. It became the print of Lagos, the yellow buses,” Sanwo-olu said during the Sunday night interview.
“Let’s be very creative. Let’s see how we can remodel them without scrapping them out. We are collaborating with them. You know that our citizens now deserve newer models of cars.”
The Governor also spoke on the wanton destruction of Lagos State Government Buses during the #EndSARs protest. He said the State had signed an agreement with a local bus manufacturing company to replace buses burnt during the protest.
He said although the buses were insured, the insurance did not cover “unforeseen circumstances”.
He disclosed that the buses that will be manufactured by the local firm would have the same features and specifications as the ones that were razed during the protests.
“Absolutely, we are trying to replenish them, we have started the compensation and the interesting thing is that we are working with a local bus manufacturing company,” he said.
“And it is going to come almost with the same specifications of the ones that were unfortunately destroyed so that Lagosians can have the same feel of the buses.
“They were insured. Insurance will never cover you 100 percent.”
