Babatunde Gbadamosi, the Governorship Candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in Lagos State has reacted to the train accident that occurred around Ashade Ram Market in Agege area of Lagos State.
According to Lagos State emergency management Agency (LASEMA) , the train moving en route Ebute Metta via Oshodi from Iju with full capacity passengers derailed from its tracks around 7 am as a result of faulty tracks at the level crossing.
However, no life was lost but information gathered at the scene from bystanders has it that the wounded victims were rushed to nearby hospitals for medical first aid.
Reacting to the incident, Gbadamosi in a statement to NAN wants rickety trains used for the Mass Transit Train Service (MTTS) phased out in Lagos.
He said the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) must phase them out, while the Lagos State Government should speed up work on its light rail projects to forestall derailments.
Gbadamosi spoke in Lagos on Thursday against the backdrop of a passenger train that derailed in the Agege area of Lagos.
The ADP candidate who commiserated with victims of the accident urged the NRC to also ensure enforcement of its rules that prohibit passengers from hanging on trains while in transit.
“Some of the passenger trains are a complete write-off. The refurbished ones are beyond the pockets of majority of the passengers. But that should not mean that the NRC should continue to tolerate excess passengers, especially those who sit on the roof of the trains while in motion.
“The NRC should as a matter of urgency, reduce the fare for the executive Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) trains which is about N750, as against the MTTS that has a lower fare of about N300, to accommodate more passengers who cannot afford to ride in the executive trains.
“The irony of it is that the DMUs are almost always empty because of the high fare. Making it affordable will even bring in more revenue for the NRC,’’ he said.
Gbadamosi expressed wondered why the corporation had not lived up to expectation in enforcing its rules, particularly those stopping passengers from continuing to hang on coaches and sit on train roofs in the state.
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