The Kaduna State Government says it plans to deploy 120 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered articulated buses on a 24-kilometre Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor to improve urban transportation and create thousands of jobs.
The Acting Director-General of the Kaduna State Transport Regulatory Authority (KADSTRA), Inuwa Ibrahim, disclosed this during a media engagement on the proposed BRT project in Kaduna on Tuesday.
Newsmen report that the scheme is expected to generate between 10,000 and 20,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities along the corridor.
Ibrahim said the project, which would be the first BRT system in Kaduna State, had reached the implementation stage after the completion of its planning and design.
“We are expecting to have about 20,000 jobs just for this BRT corridor of just 24 kilometres,” Ibrahim said.
According to him, the jobs would include opportunities for drivers, mechanics and other personnel involved in the operation and maintenance of the system.
He said the deployment of CNG-powered buses would also provide commuters with a more affordable and environmentally friendly transportation option.
Ibrahim described CNG as cheaper and cleaner than conventional fuel, saying its use would contribute to reducing emissions and improving the urban environment.
The proposed BRT system will include dedicated bus lanes, modern bus stops, shelters and terminals to facilitate faster and more efficient movement of commuters.
Also speaking, an advanced engineering consultant on the project, Idris Akinremi, said the BRT was designed to address traffic congestion by providing an efficient alternative to private transportation.
Akinremi said the availability of an efficient mass transit system would encourage motorists to reduce their dependence on private vehicles, thereby easing pressure on existing roads.
“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.
He explained that the project was not primarily based on widening existing roads, noting that about 80 per cent of the proposed corridor would retain the existing carriageways.
According to him, BRT infrastructure will instead be incorporated into the existing road network to improve its efficiency.
Akinremi said technical and social assessments conducted during the planning process showed that extensive demolition of properties to create additional lanes in restricted areas would not be economically justified.
He said the project was being designed in accordance with international standards and best practices.
The consultant further explained that continuous expansion of roads alone could not provide a lasting solution to traffic congestion, as increased road capacity could eventually be filled by more private vehicles.
“As I said, you don’t gain efficiency by just expanding roads because your roads will be filled to capacity,” he said, citing Abuja as an example of a city where some wide roads still experience significant traffic congestion.
He said an effective mass transit system could transport large numbers of people without requiring a corresponding expansion of 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 initial section of the Kaduna BRT corridor was projected to cover about 17 kilometres, subject to completion of the final design.
The officials said the overall project was expected to combine mass transportation, cleaner energy and employment opportunities as part of efforts to improve mobility and reduce congestion in Kaduna metropolis.