The Oyo State government says it has approved N9.3 billion for the purchase of 106 new buses for mass transit service in the state.
The state Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Seun Fakorede, stated this while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the 29th weekly State Executive Council meeting on Wednesday in Ibadan.
Fakorede, who said the approval was part of the resolutions reached at the meeting, stressed that transportation was a vital factor in the socio-economic development of any nation.
He added that the development of intercity transportation in the state would greatly assist the mobility of the populace and boost the state’s economy.
The commissioner said the Bus Rapid Transit scheme, as a major transportation system, had been accepted in some cities across the country over the years.
He said the Pacesetter Transit Scheme was the replica of the BRT system in the state.
Fakorede said a transport audit conducted revealed that there were limited number of functional buses providing services to the people of the state.
He said the approval for the purchase of the buses would augment the ones already on ground.
Also, the state Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Adeniyi Farinto, said the state executive council also approved N69 million for the rehabilitation of two link roads at Akobo area of Ibadan.
Farinto said the project would be executed through direct labour by the Oyo State Transport and Road Management Agency.
According to Farinto, the project will be completed within two months.