Currency swap: Gbajabiamila launches second transport scheme to ease residents’, students’ movements ...rolls out 35 new buses to commute 7,000 people daily

By Christiana Ekpa

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has launched the second edition of the GbajaRide community transportation initiative as part of plans to ease the movement of residents and students in Surulere, Lagos, particularly due to the hardship occasioned by the ongoing currency swap policy and fuel scarcity.

At the launch of the second phase of the GbajaRide initiative at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere on Tuesday, Gbajabiamila announced that a total of 15 medium-sized buses with a 26+1 capacity and 20 airconditioned 18-seat buses were earmarked for the transportation scheme.

He said the two different sets of buses would commute an estimated 5,000 Surulere residents and 2,000 students on daily trips, noting that “we intend to add more buses to the service.”

The GbajaRide scheme was first launched in June 2018, when the Speaker was serving as the

House Leader in the 8th Assembly. It kicked off with 30 brand new buses, 160 motorcycles, and 25 tricycles, used to empower and ease the movement of residents of Surulere.

He said: “GbajaRide is part of the relief designed to provide transportation service for the people of Surulere at a discounted rate. We must commend the government of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu for the rollout plans to ease the pains Lagosians go through during this period.

“While GbajaRide will be moving residents of Surulere at a discounted rate, the transport service will move all our secondary school students, teachers and residents of age 75 and above from designated bus stops in Surulere free of charge.”

“The GbajaRide transport service in partnership with Lagos State Government will key into existing rules of engagement of LAMATA on routes and operations that will meet the transportation needs of the people of Surulere.”

The Speaker said, learning from the first phase, GbajaRide