Two cyclists die in BRT accident in Lagos

Primero Transport Services Limited, operator of Bus Rapid Transit in Lagos State, has expressed regret over an accident that claimed two lives on Wednesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the accident, involving a BRT bus and a commercial motorcycle operator carrying two passengers, occurred on BRT lane at Ile-Igbo inward Abule-Egba area of Lagos.

The firm, in a statement by its Head of Corporate Communications, Mutiu Yekeen, commiserated with the family of the victims.

The statement said: “At about 4am, a bus heading to Abule-Egba from Oshodi, was involved in an accident that claimed the lives of two on the spot.

“A commercial motorcyclist, according to the Busman, appeared from nowhere on the BRT corridor.

“The driver who could not avoid the motorcycle which had no headlamp and was facing the oncoming bus, knocked down the victims.”

According to Yekeen, the driver of the BRT bus quickly ran to Oke-Odo Police Station to report the matter.

He said when the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency team arrived at the scene, two people were discovered to have died on the spot and were taken away.

Yekeen said the third person was taken to the hospital by the emergency team.

The BRT spokesman said the officers at Oke-Odo Police Division have the BRT bus and the motorcycle (Okada) in their custody.

He said: “The matter is still under investigation as the IPO in charge of the case asked the BRT management to give police 48 hours for the families of the victims to appear.

“The life of every Lagosian is precious to Primero.

“While we regret the accident that led to the loss of lives, the management appeals to all commercial motorcyclists, private cars and ‘danfo’ drivers to stop encroaching on the BRT corridors to avoid future accidents.”

According to Yekeen, operators are facing so many challenges on BRT corridors and the biggest remains motorcycle riders encroaching into BRT lanes.

He said: “We urge the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, LAMATA, and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA to assist in deploying their officers to checkmate the activities of drivers that have invaded the BRT corridors.”

NAN reports that Primero Transport Services Limited is one of the three firms operating the new high-capacity buses on Oshodi-Abule Egba BRT lane.