The Lagos State Government plans to enhance security and monitoring across its public transportation network by installing cameras on all regulated public transport vehicles.
Dr Olukemi Amure, Head of Bus Services at the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), announced this initiative during a recent meeting organized by LAMATA, which brought together drivers, operators, and stakeholders to discuss improvements to the city’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and other bus services.
This initiative is part of the new Lagos State Transport Policy and aims to progressively install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras on public transport vehicles over the next two years. The policy also includes the installation of CCTV cameras at key transportation points such as interchanges, bus stops, taxi ranks, freight yards, and stations.
This development is intended to bolster the proposed modern Traffic Control Centre (TCC), which will utilize the data from these cameras to improve incident response times and overall traffic management efficiency.
According to Dr Amure, the cameras will support the TCC’s operations by enabling Automatic Incident Detection (AID), which is expected to enhance traffic management and safety across Lagos greatly.
The footage collected will also inform the development of effective traffic management plans, helping to alleviate some of the city’s most pressing mobility challenges.
In addition to the technological upgrades, the Lagos State Government plans to establish the Lagos Transport Police (LTP) within two years. This new unit will work in collaboration with the Nigerian Police to enhance the security and efficiency of Lagos’ transportation system.
The LTP will be responsible for monitoring transport facilities, equipment, and infrastructure, including those under construction, and will oversee the central control centre managing the CCTV network.
During the meeting, Dr Amure emphasized the importance of this initiative, noting that previous efforts to equip public transport vehicles with cameras had fallen short, particularly with locally supplied buses that lacked inbuilt cameras. This new push aims to address those gaps and ensure comprehensive coverage across the city’s transport network.
Another key aspect discussed at the meeting was the need to address sexual harassment concerns within the transport system. Muiz Ogbara, another speaker at the event, highlighted the importance of the “SheCan” reporting tool and urged drivers to be vigilant and mindful of such issues.
CSP Adetayo Akerele, Head of the Lagos State Task Force, reassured attendees of the enforcement team’s commitment to maintaining order on the BRT corridors. He stressed the importance of driver cooperation and proper conduct in achieving the project’s goals.
This inclusive approach, engaging BRT drivers and various stakeholders, reflects LAMATA’s continuous efforts to improve service delivery and ensure the safety and efficiency of Lagos’ public transportation system.
Dr. Amure concluded the meeting by promising that drivers’ concerns would be addressed and encouraged them to register with LAMATA’s database for better monitoring and evaluation.