Rivers Monorail Service Takes Off Next July

Train commuter service under the on-going monorail project of the Rivers State government will commence in July next year. The monorail service is expected to commute about 4,000 persons a day.

The State Commissioner for Works, Mr. Dakuku Peterside dropped the hint in an exclusive interview in Port Harcourt.

He said that the Rivers State Monorail Company which has commenced work on the installation of the infrastructure for the project was set up, to isolate the monorail project from government bureaucracy.

According to him, government engaged some of the best professionals on earth in the sector to ensure that the final project delivery will make the state monorail the first of its kind in Nigeria.

When it comes on stream, Peterside said, the monorail service will be aligned with bus stops to ensure synergy in the sector.

The project will also provide added impetus to the development of the state’s rich tourism potentials, he said.

The project, according to the commissioner, will complement existing air, water and road transport infrastructure in the state.

He said government was committed to the realisation of its vision of a Rivers State where all communities where accessible by quality roads, all the year round.

It is this vision, he said, that was driving government in the various projects scattered around the state for which it was being described as “the biggest construction site in Nigeria today”.

The Commissioner praised Governor Amaechi for making a fundamental difference in the infrastructure landscape of the city of Port Harcourt and the entire state.

He spoke of the various challenges in projects implementation, including the environment, soil quality and rainfall but asserted that “in the midst of all these constraints, we have made appreciable impact”.

He announced that contract for the Trans-Kalabari Road will be re-awarded before December this year, in line with the governor’s directive. Already contractors have been short-listed for the award of the job.

The Commissioner regretted that most of the contractors awarded the job initially, were from Kalabari and did not have the capacity to execute it, which led to the termination of the contract.

He said the state government was also inter-facing with the Ministry of Niger Delta with a view to getting the abandoned Bodo-Bonny road project back on course.

The Bodo-Bonny Road is a federal government project abandoned over the years, following disagreement between the contractor the Federal ministry of Works. It has been inherited by the Ministry of Niger Delta.

“We are optimistic that, that project will be back on course, very soon”, the Commissioner said.