Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has commissioned 100 Toyota Hiace Buses and 30 Innoson High Capacity Buses with a pledge to continue to boost the Delta State Mass Transport programme.
Governor Uduaghan who made this pledge on Monday, December 23, 2013 in Asaba, said “the state government is determined to banish rickety buses for mass transit from our roads and ensure that deltans move around in comfortable vehicles.”
Emphasising that “with this commissioning, the state now has over 700 18- seater Hiace buses and 130 Tata, Marcopolo and Innoson buses for Intra- and Intra-City Mass Transit Scheme with the broad goal of providing safe, reliable, efficient and integrated transport operations.”
The governor explained the state government was in partnership with the private sector in the mass transit programme and charged the private operators participating in the scheme to always make prompt returns, stressing that “this is the only way more buses can be bought and distributed.”
While appealing to the operators to continue to maintain the 50% fare subsidy, Governor Uduaghan urged the drivers to take care of their buses and ensure regular maintenance of their vehicles.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Transport, Hon. Benson Igbakpa, said that the buses were acquired to boost the state mass transit programme.
He disclosed that the state government has approved the construction of a 12.55 kilometres Bus Rapid Transit System in Warri, the third BRT in Africa meant to transport a total of 42,000 passengers per day with 70 buses running simultaneously.
