Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has launched 1,000 vehicles for the newly-introduced taxi scheme codenamed “LAGOS RIDE”, saying it will enhance mobility of residents and ease of doing business in the state.

Sanwo-Olu made the remark, on Wednesday, at the official launch of a security fitted apparatus, safe, comfortable and modernised taxi scheme with the rollout of the first batch of 1,000 brand-new GAC automobiles at the State House in Alausa, Ikeja.

The ride hailing taxi initiative, which is being operated on a lease-to-own basis, is a component of the State Government’s multimodal transportation blueprint being executed under the traffic management and transportation pillar of the THEMES agenda of the Sanwo-Olu administration.

N1.9m

The initiative is a partnership between Lagos State-owned IBILE Holding Limited and CIG Motors Company Limited, with the objective to provide clean and reliable means of taxis movement across the metropolis at affordable cost.

Operators are required to pay about N1.9 million down payment, of which the sum covers the 20 per cent equity of cost of vehicle, registration and insurance.

Each car being used in the scheme comes with technology-enabled security features that monitor every journey undertaken.

Sanwo-Olu, while launching the scheme, said the State had moved another step forward in its drive to develop an efficient transportation model in tune with modernity and comfort.

He said the aim was not to run existing hailing ride operators out of the business, but to offer safer alternative and clear the roads of rickety cars being used for taxi business. 

The scheme, he said, will provide opportunities to the operators to become owners of the vehicles within three to four years period.

He said: “The need to ease mobility, provide better, dignifying and more rewarding means of transportation and livelihood for unemployed and underemployed population gave birth to the new ‘Lagos State Taxi Scheme’, which will be operated on a lease-to-own basis. 

Under this arrangement, a beneficiary will be provided a brand new car which will become the driver’s property after completion of the payment of the vehicle’s subsidised cost.

“This taxi scheme will complement the various bus services which are making significant impact in the lives of our people.

“They include the water transport service, which is recording unprecedented patronage, as well as the Blue and Red Line Rail services, which are on course to commence commercial operations between the last quarter of this year and the first quarter of 2023.”

To improve riders’ and passengers’ security, Sanwo-Olu said a full security gadget, including a 360 dashboard camera that will give 24-hour audio-visual feeds to the control centre, had been pre-installed on each car deployed for the scheme.

He added that each car came with a physical panic button that could be used by anyone on board in case of assault or emergency. 

The panic button, the Governor said, “is also on the mobile application and is connected to the Control and Command Centre.”

Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the automobile assembly plant being set up in Lagos — another component of the partnership between CIG Motors’ and the State Government — stood at 60 per cent completion, with anticipated launch and start of operations expected in September.

He said: “What we are witnessing today is that Lagos is moving away from the era of rickety kabu kabu to brand-new, comfortable and safe transport system.

“The multiplier effect of this singular initiative on job creation, youth employment and economic growth and development in the State cannot be overstated.”

Commissioners for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladehinde, described the scheme as “another milestone achievement” by the State Government.

He noted that the initiative had joined an array of other innovative solutions initiated in the transport sector, which were targeted at redefining public transportation.