Kaduna modernised BRT to ease congestion, create jobs, cut emissions – Official

The Kaduna state government says its planned Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system will ease traffic congestion, create thousands of jobs and reduce carbon emissions when it becomes operational.

The 24-kilometre mass transit project will deploy 120 CNG-powered articulated buses, dedicated lanes, bus stops, shelters and modern terminals as part of efforts to transform public transportation in the state.

The Acting Director-General of the Kaduna State Transport Regulatory Authority (KADSTRA), Engr. Inuwa Ibrahim, disclosed this during a one-day media engagement on the proposed BRT project in Kaduna.

Ibrahim said the state had completed the planning and design stages and was preparing to commence implementation of the project.

He described the BRT as the first of its kind in Kaduna State and the second in Nigeria after Lagos.

According to him, the project is expected to create between 10,000 and 20,000 jobs along the BRT corridor, including employment for drivers, mechanics and other workers involved in its operation and maintenance.

“We are expecting to have about 10 to 20,000 jobs just for this BRT corridor of just 24 kilometres,” he said.

He added that the deployment of 120 articulated buses, as well as bus stops, shelters and other facilities, would generate significant economic activities around the project.

On the expected impact on commuters, Ibrahim said the use of CNG-powered buses would help reduce transportation costs while providing a cleaner alternative to conventional fuel.

“You know, even in the developed world, when you have a public transport system, you can be able to have a lesser fare transportation in terms of fare amount,” he said.

He added that the buses would run on CNG, which he described as “cheaper and cleaner,” saying the system would also contribute to a cleaner environment.

Also speaking, Idris Akinremi, an advanced engineering consultant on the BRT project, said the system was designed to reduce traffic congestion by encouraging motorists to leave their private vehicles and use mass transit.

“The project will discourage putting cars on the roads. This will reduce traffic on the road; once people see this, they will abandon their cars,” he said.

Akinremi said the project would improve the efficiency of existing roads without unnecessarily expanding them or demolishing houses to create additional lanes.

He explained that about 80 per cent of the corridor would retain the existing carriageways, while the BRT infrastructure would be incorporated into the road design.

According to him, technical and social assessments showed that demolishing properties to create additional road lanes in restricted sections would not be economically justified.

He said the BRT project was being designed in line with international standards and best practices, including technical and social considerations.

Akinremi argued that continually expanding roads was not a permanent solution to traffic congestion, noting that roads could eventually become saturated regardless of their size.

“As I said, you don’t gain efficiency by just expanding roads because your roads will be filled to capacity,” he said.

He cited Abuja as an example, saying that despite its wide roads, the city still experiences significant traffic congestion.

He said an efficient mass transit system would instead move large numbers of commuters without requiring a corresponding increase in road space.

“If you put a BRT there, 80 per cent of those people putting their vehicles on the road will park it without expanding the road. What do you have? Efficiency,” he said.

Akinremi said the first section of the Kaduna BRT corridor was expected to cover about 17 kilometres, subject to the completion of the final design.

The officials said the project would combine improved mass transportation, employment opportunities and cleaner energy as part of efforts to modernize Kaduna’s urban transport system.