Kano To Introduce Metropolitan Mass Transit Buses

By Umar Isa

Kano state Government has concluded arrangement to introduce an efficient public mass transit system in the metropolis, as part of strategies to reduce congestion and improve efficiency in road usage.

A statement signed by Director – General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Kano Ameen K. Yassar said the move will also go a long way in improving the state’s ranking on the global Ease of Doing Business Index as the government is constructing more roads, with ancillary facilities, and renovating others in the state capital.

“The system will work on the principle of PPP where the State Government provides the infrastructure like roads, bus shelters, bus stops, and others while the private operator will supply the buses”, the state governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje announced.

“A private investor, Kano Metropolitan Transport Company, encouraged by our commitment to the development of road infrastructure, has agreed to begin by putting 50 brand new buses on our roads, at the onset, but will gradually increase the number to serve our people”, he pointed out.

The governor made the assertion when a delegation from the state visited the office complex and manufacturing plant of MVC Egypt, manufacturers of buses and trucks at Obour city and Salheya respectively in Cairo, Egypt, to inspect the buses for suitability and conformity with Nigerian terrain.

Represented by the state Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport, Engr. Aminu Aliyu, the governor noted that the buses were of international standard and going by the engineering details, would stand the test of time on Nigerian roads.

“This intervention by the private sector will encourage more investors to commit more resources into the business of transportation and will gradually make our roads assume the look of similar infrastructure in advanced countries”, he maintained.

According to him, “To address our transport infrastructure gap we have spent billions of Naira on the construction of the underpass at Madobi/Panshekara Road Junction, which has been completed and commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari while work is going on the Bukavu Barracks flyover and underpass, the Dangi multi-level underpass and flyover while the Murtala Muhammad Way flyover is on the verge of completion”.

“We are also reconstructing and expanding several roads in the state capital while recently we embarked on the renovation of 31 roads including Nassarawa Hospital, Sheik Jaafar, Eastern bypass-Unguwa Uku, Bompai, Abbatoir and Civic Centre road”, the governor added.

“Others are Obasanjo Road, Bello Road, ‘Yantsaki Road-Tudun Murtala, Sharada, Rijiyar Zaki, Rafin Dan Nana, Ashton Road, Manladan Kulkul Road, Emirs Palace, Kofar Fampo and ‘Yan Katako-Zaria Road among others,” he said.‎

He expressed the commitment of his administration to completing all the on-going road constructions in the state as part of his administration’s urban renewal programme.

‎The governor called on the people to support the government to enable it to continue to deliver on its promises, assuring that other roads would also be given attention.‎