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RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHOS #0240/01 1911433
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 091433Z JUL 08
FM AMCONSUL LAGOS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9984
INFO RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 9682
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
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RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000240 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELTN ECON EFIN EINV NI
 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: TRANSPORTATION PLANNING IN LAGOS SLOW-GOING, BUT 
MOVING FORWARD 
 
Ref: A) Lagos 169 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY: The Lagos State Government (LASG) is attacking 
head-on go-slows (traffic jams) that hinder the Lagos mega-city's 
development plan.  Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority 
(LAMATA) is implementing its Transportation Master Plan, consisting 
of water ferries, light rail, and bus rapid transit systems linked 
by inter-modal interchanges.  The State is rehabilitating major 
roadways via public private partnerships with international 
construction firms.  A recently inaugurated Bus Rapid Transit System 
will incorporate bus systems run by transportation union members who 
otherwise might lose jobs.  Water ferry jetties are under 
construction and light rail right-of-ways have been assigned, but 
there is much to be done before the system is reliable enough to 
coax Lagosians out of their cars.  END SUMMARY. 
 
"Go-Slows": the Current State of Transit 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) Lagosians have several primary modes of transportation: 
private vehicles, okadas (motorcycle taxis), taxis, and molues and 
danfos (private minibuses providing passenger service).  Pedestrians 
are everywhere, and congested roads and lack of sidewalks make 
travel difficult.  In Lagos, traveling in a car is as much about 
making a strong business impression as it is about making a fashion 
statement.   As the number of Lagosians with disposable income has 
increased, so has the number of private cars.  Molues, danfos, and 
okadas have also multiplied in recent years, resulting in the 
infamous Lagos go-slows that can last hours and span miles of 
roadway.  Traffic jams, unruly drivers, a lack of traffic 
enforcement, poor quality roads, and street hawkers all contribute 
to the problem. 
 
Transportation Master Plan: Link Bus, Ferry, Rail 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶3. (U) In 2003, Lagos State Government (LASG) created Lagos 
Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), a World 
Bank-assisted government agency to plan, design, and implement a 
Master Transit Plan.  In a meeting with EconOffs on May 16, Jide 
Oduyoye, Deputy Director of Road Safety and Enforcement, said that 
early in 2008, after several years of studies LAMATA, unveiled a 
comprehensive master plan including new water ferries, light rail 
lines, and bus rapid transit lines. The plan identifies 28 activity 
centers which serve as interchange points between the various modes. 
 The goal is to create an integrated multi-modal system that will 
minimize transfer time and provide a safe and effective 
transportation system.  In addition to the new modes, LAMATA is also 
trying to rehabilitate existing roads and improve traffic flow.  All 
rehabilitation, Oduyoye said, is being completed with long term 
planning in mind, specifically so that intelligent transportation 
systems such as timed lights and electronic bus stop notifications 
can ultimately be used.  LAMATA plans to encourage public transit 
use through a series of public relations campaigns and community 
dialogues. 
 
Roads: Rehab Eases Drivers' Woes 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) LAMATA has recently begun renovations of major state owned 
roads throughout Lagos.  These rehabilitations have been completed 
through public-private partnerships that LASG has entered into with 
several international construction firms, such as Julius Berger. 
Although EconOffs' ability to monitor this progress in the greater 
Lagos area is limited, ConGen Lagos has noticed vast traffic flow 
and road quality improvements on Ikoyi and Victoria Islands.  ConGen 
Offs and ConGen drivers also applauded the State's completion of the 
rehabilitation on a long stretch of Ozumba Mbadiwe Road, popularly 
called "the Lekki Expressway", which widened the right of way to add 
lanes, leveled and repaved the road, repainted the lines, created 
turn lanes, added a drainage system, and built a concrete median to 
prevent illegal left and u-turns.  The only road connecting Victoria 
Island with Lekki Peninsula, Ozumba Mbadiwe handles a large volume 
of traffic daily.  The rehabilitation has noticeably reduced wait 
times from a couple of hours, on average, to less than one hour for 
travel to frequently visited offices of international oil companies 
and other ConGen contacts.  Other major road rehabilitations include 
Bourdillion and Girard Roads in Ikoyi.  Even with these 
improvements, traffic jams occur, and the average commute time from 
place-to-place can still exceed two hours.  In most cases, road 
rehabilitation projects have taken months, causing road closures, 
often during peak traffic hours. 
 
Bus Rapid Transit Includes Union-Owned Fleet 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
LAGOS 00000240  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶5. (U) LAMATA launched its first Bus Rapid Transit line (BRT) in 
March 2008.  One hundred days after its launch, LAMATA's Managing 
Director Dayo Mobereola was quoted in the news media as estimating 
that the BRT system serviced a total passenger movement of 9.7 
million, and the daily passenger load increased from around 15,000 
to 140,000 people. Public response to the line has been positive 
overall, and a performance assessment of the BRT is in the pipeline, 
Oduyoye said.  To assure the local bus driver unions, LAMATA 
designed the BRT so that local unions could incorporate as 
businesses and purchase and run buses on the line.  These buses are 
all being financed through local banks, and provide employment to 
union drivers who might otherwise be out of a job as BRT riders 
switch from molues and danfos to BRT buses. 
 
¶6. (U) However, BRT faces capacity and pricing issues.  LAMATA added 
70 buses to its initial 120 bus fleet one month after its launch, 
and plans to deploy 200 additional buses to handle the volume of 
demand.  Despite these increases, long lines remain at BRT stops, 
and passengers experience long waits for buses.  In early June 
commuters protested a sudden increase in BRT fares, intended as a 
price recalibration, from 50 naira for short distances to a flat 
rate of 100 naira per trip; the protests quickly resulted in the 
termination of the fare hike.  Passengers also complained of buses 
not running on schedule.  Also BRT does not run on Ikoyi and 
Victoria Islands so once there, passengers commuting in from the 
mainland have to find other modes of transport. 
 
Water Ferry Systems: Jetties under Construction 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶7. (U) LAMATA has begun work on five water ferry jetties and 
recently received rights-of-way for routes for a system of water 
ferries.  These routes will connect the new jetties on the mainland 
with points on Ikoyi and Lagos Islands in an effort to reduce the 
number of cars commuting to the islands each day.  However, the 
effectiveness of the ferries, like other elements of the system, 
will depend on the efficiency of the interchanges at the jetties; if 
there are no buses or other modes of transport waiting for 
passengers to bring them close to their final destinations, most 
commuters may continue to drive. 
 
Light Rail to Use NRC Right-of-Way 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (U) A recently signed MOU with the National Rail Corporation will 
allow LAMATA to construct new light rail lines in the existing 
rights-of-way of existing heavy rail tracks.  Although there are 
plans to create a large network of light rail lines, LAMATA is 
trying to move forward with two specific lines, the Red and Blue 
Lines, to connect Marina on Lagos Island with greater Lagos. 
 
Developers Ignore Master Plan 
----------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Oduyoye expressed frustration with developers of Victoria 
Island's Eko Atlantic City and Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ), 
commercial and mix-used industrial zones currently under 
construction, for their failure to consult with LAMATA or to take 
the Master Transit Plan into account in planning their projects. The 
820 hectare Eko Atlantic City, planned for Victoria Island, and the 
Lekki Free Trade Zone, whose published plans call for new arterial 
and coastal roads, were never vetted with LAMATA, Oduyoye said. 
 
¶10. Comment: Rational growth of the Lagos mega-city and improved 
quality of life for Lagosians, many of whom spend up to five hours 
commuting daily, depend on the Lagos State Government's ability to 
implement the Transit Master Plan.  Beyond merely setting up the 
system, the State must deal with sometimes conflicting Federal-State 
authority, lack of enforcement of existing regulations, and lack of 
relevant expertise among even the most well-intentioned Lagos civil 
servants.  Lagos will have to make sure that the buses, ferries, and 
trains run on time in order to coax Lagosians out of their cars and 
keep traffic flowing. End Comment. 
 
¶11. (U) This cable was cleared with Embassy Abuja. 
 
HUDSON