By Abdullahi Yusuf
One of the statutory functions of Government is making life easy for the people.Such functions include provision of infrastructure like roads, hospitals and clinics,water supply and means of transportation.
When Government provides such infrastructure, people normally appreciate the gesture as they know that it will facilitate the smooth conduct of their day-to-day activities as well as stimulate growth and development in their immediate environment.
Sunday’s launching of 100 buses and 50 taxi cabs by His Excellency,the Governor of Kano State,Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to facilitate smooth transportation of people and goods in the eight metropolitan local Government Areas in the state capital, therefore, was one of such Government’s responsibilities.
Commissioning the vehicles at the Sabon Gari Stadium, the Governor said the mass transit project was aimed at addressing transportation challenges along the Jogana- Yankura-Janguza corridor.
The 100 buses and 50 cars which were painted with green and a stripe of white had been scheduled to commence operation immediately.
Ganduje pointed out that the construction and extension of many roads, flyovers,underpasses and many other infrastructure in the state capital were considered necessary for the commercially viable and industrious city of Kano.
“To ensure effective and sustainable benefits of the investment and functional transport, infrastructure needs to be provided for an efficient Mass Transit system that will fit into a new prolific city like Kano.
“Hitherto, the absence of efficient Mass Transit has given rise to the proliferation of Tricycles as the main public transport vehicle in metropolitan Kano.
“As the consequences of this scenario, traffic congestion has reached a critical level, while security of lives is becoming a great source of concern,” the Governor stated.
He also said that the Kanawa Bus Service and the Kanawa Taxi Service would commence on a pilot basis with the 100 high-capacity buses and the 50 taxi cabs procured at the cost of N2.6 billion.
He said the service would be run by a private operator to ensure efficiency and effective management on a Public Private Partnership(PPP) basis, adding that additional 200 buses would be provided in next year’s budget to cover other corridors.
“To achieve these objectives, we have directed the State Investment and Properties Limited to invest in the new taxis and give them on hire purchase to the members of the Tricycle Associations to be displaced from the pilot corridor.
“This component of the scheme will be revolving until all the corridors are fully covered by this service,” the Governor added.
Earlier, Chairman of the Organising Committee, Engineer Rabi’u Suleiman Bichi, while presenting the buses for inauguration, commended the efforts of the governor, urging the stakeholders to take the project to the desired stage.
Engineer Bichi said the eight local government areas in the Kano metropolis would have the pilot take-off of the service and called on investors to key into the development initiative.
Before the launching of this laudable initiative, public affairs analylists had also observed that over time, tricycle operators most whom lack knowledge of traffic rules and regulations ,have been causing accidents and other traffic nuisances due to the absence of a Mass Transit Service in the city.
The launching of the two services-Kanawa Bus Service and Kanawa Taxi Service, therefore, will surely go along way in easing the prevailing traffic congestion in the Kano metropolis, largely caused by the A Daidaita Sahu tricycle operators.
The Ganduje Initiative would further be enjoyed by residents of Kano metropolis as it came at a time when major roads and roundabouts are being rehabilitated by the State Government, which will facilitate smooth operations of the two Mass Transit Services.
Beneficiaries of this giant development stride should show appreciation by cooperating with the Government and the operators of the scheme by strictly adhering to the protocols of accessing the services, to ensure their success.
The Ganduje Administration deserves commendation for the successful take-off of the pilot Service in the eight metropolitan Local Government Areas, and the planned extension of the initiative to other corridors with 200 additional buses towards addressing the perennial traffic congestion in Kano metropolis,once and for all.Kano is working.
Abdullahi Yusuf is a Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Information to the Governor of Kano State.He can be reached on: kwalli2005@yahoo.com
