A comfortable and modernised taxi scheme has taken off in Lagos State, with the rollout of the first batch of 1,000 brand-new GAC-branded automobiles by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The scheme, codenamed “Lagos Ride”, was launched at a well-attended ceremony held at the State House in Alausa, recently.
The taxi initiative, which is being operated on a lease-to-own basis, is a component of the State Government’s multimodal transportation blueprint being executed under the Traffic Management and Transportation pillar of the THEMES agenda of the Sanwo-Olu administration.
The initiative is a partnership between Lagos State-owned IBILE Holding Limited, and CIG Motors Company Limited, with the objective to provide clean and reliable means of taxis movement across the metropolis at affordable cost, using brand-new vehicles.
Operators are required to pay about N1.9 million down payment, with the sum covering the 20 per cent equity of cost of the vehicle, registration and insurance.
Each car used in the scheme comes with technology-enabled security features that monitor every journey undertaken.
While launching the scheme, Sanwo-Olu said the State had moved another step forward in its drive to develop an efficient transportation model in tune with modernity and comfort.
The Governor said the aim was not to run existing hailing ride operators out of the business, but to offer safer alternative and clear the roads of rickety cars being used for taxi business.
He said the scheme will provide opportunities to the operators to become owners of the vehicles within three to four years period.
“The need to provide better, dignifying and more rewarding means of transportation and livelihood for unemployed and underemployed population gave birth to the new ‘Lagos State Taxi Scheme’, which will be operated on a lease-to-own basis.
“Under this arrangement, a beneficiary will be provided a brand-new car which will become the driver’s property after completion of the payment of the vehicle’s subsidised cost.
“This taxi scheme will complement the various bus services which are making significant impact in the lives of our people; the water transport service, which is recording unprecedented patronage, as well as the Blue and Red Line Rail services, which are on course to commence commercial operations between the last quarter of this year and the first quarter of 2023”, the Governor said.

To improve riders’ and passengers’ security, Sanwo-Olu said a full security gadget, including a 360 dashboard camera that will give 24-hour audio-visual feeds to the control centre, had been pre-installed on each car deployed for the scheme.

He added that each car came with a physical panic button that could be used by anyone on board in case of assault or emergency. The panic button, the Governor said, is also on the mobile application and is connected to the Control and Command Centre.

By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos