By; FUNMI ADERINTO, Kaduna
Kaduna State Government, led by Governor Nasir Ahmed el-Rufai on Wednesday, in collaboration with Kaduna State Transport Regulatory Authority (KADSTRA), launched Kaduna Bus Rapid Transit that will provide state-of-the-art high capacity bus systems, that travel on exclusive lanes with an estimated 160,000 daily commuters.
Governor Nasir el-Rufai expressed his gratitude when he performed the ground breaking rites for the Kaduna Bus Rapid Transit (KBRT) project held at depot site, off PAN drive in Kakuri, Kaduna State.
The KBRT project which is supported by Agence Francaise De Development-AFD (French Agency for Development) and led by the Kaduna State Transport Regulatory Authority (KADSTRA) will travel on exclusive lanes with an estimated 160,000 daily commuters.
The governor explained that, “when this administration came into office, we promised to address the transportation problems of the state, we approached that in three weeks.
“First, we began to exploit the possibility of having a light rail stretching from Rigachikun to Mararaban Rido, and we made progress securing financing from India Bank with 600 million dollars to execute that project,” he said.
He further said, “We engaged the famous French transportation consulting firms as well as engineering design for the project.
“Unfortunately, we will not be able to move forward on the project because we’ve been unable to find an operator. Someone that will operate light rail when it is completed, we think it is important to that before we proceed.
“The second component of addressing the transportation problem is because it is a Bus Rapid Transit, we are having difficulties financing the project until when the French Government steps in and offers us a line of credit to finance this project.
“I am grateful to the government of France and its Ambassador and her team for being patient and pushing very hard to get this project to this stage.
“Today, we are doing the ground breaking and by the grace of God in a couple of years, Kaduna State will have a functioning Bus Rapid Transit that will be moving ten of thousands of people everyday.
“This project, partnering with the smaller bus operators Kaduna State Transport Authority to ensure that the bus transit will carry most of traffic of people coming to work and back home,” he said.
On her part, the Director General KADSTRA, Aisha Sa’idu-Bala stated that the project will create a 24-km BRT corridor from Kawo to Sabon Tasha, including, 30 stations with exclusive right-of-way with safe pedestrian crossings and widening of the River Kaduna Bridge to retrofit dedicated lanes for the BRT.
She added that, the bus fleet will include 120 articulated 18-meter buses, including 10 spare buses providing the people of Kaduna with alternative, convenient and reliable modes of transportation, covering more routes than ever before.
In a remark, the Ambassador of France, Emmanuelle Blatman, briefed Governor el-Rufai on French government’s support for the arts, entrepreneurship, ICT and infrastructure in Kaduna State.
In attendance at the ground breaking event, were the Country Director- AFD, Xavier Muron, the French Ambassador, Emmanuelle Blatmann and other senior Kaduna State Government officials.
