Lagos mordernises interstate travel with digital passenger manifests, park accreditation

The Lagos State Ministry of Transportation has introduced a new system to accredit interstate parks and digitise passenger manifests, aimed at enhancing safety, reliability, and efficiency in interstate travel across the state.

The state Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, announced this at a news conference on Friday in Lagos.

According to Osiyemi, the initiative is an ambitious programme designed to standardise interstate parks and digitise the passenger manifest system.

He stated, “This is more than just a modernisation effort; it is a commitment to the safety and comfort of every traveller who moves in and out of Lagos by road.

“The goal of this initiative is straightforward: it is to make interstate travel safer, more efficient, and more reliable.

“Currently, our passenger manifest system operates on a paper-based approach, which can lead to inefficiencies and delays in critical situations.

“By transitioning to a fully digital platform, we aim to securely capture and store passenger information in real-time, providing immediate access to accurate data in the event of any incidents.

“Alongside this, we are also implementing an accreditation system for all interstate parks, setting a new standard of quality, safety, and service for all operators.”

Osiyemi noted that the first component of the project was the accreditation of all interstate parks across Lagos state, explaining that parks that meet minimum safety and service standards would receive the ministry’s official certification.

He stated, “These certified parks will display prominently placed signage, assuring passengers that they are boarding from a park recognised and trusted by Lagos state.

“For parks that do not meet our standards, particularly the unregulated roadside ‘mushroom’ parks, they will require improvements. This is a collective move towards a safer, more reliable interstate travel experience for every Lagosian.

“The second part of this project focuses on transforming our manifest system into a digital, centralised platform.

“Each passenger’s information will now be digitally recorded, ensuring that data is secure, accurate, and instantly accessible to the necessary authorities.”

The commissioner mentioned that Lagos had 30 regulated parks, with over 100 still unregulated, and that sorting was ongoing for the unregulated ones.

He added that there had been numerous stakeholders’ meetings, with more still ongoing, noting that a pilot run was now taking place at Ojota.

He emphasised that the project would benefit passengers, park operators, and the state.

“For the passengers, they will experience increased safety, reliability, and convenience, and accredited park operators will gain a mark of quality that enhances their reputation and attracts more passengers. For the state, this initiative marks a vital step in the modernisation of its transportation sector,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Olawale Musa, while introducing the purpose of the event, noted that the aim was to bring a semblance of order to interstate travel.

According to Musa, there is a need to organise the state’s parks to track who enters and exits Lagos and identify those authorised to carry passengers.

“This is about the safety and security of people in the state,” he said.
Also, the Chief Executive Officer of Touch and Pay Technology, Olamide Afolabi, noted that agents would be assigned to the parks to manage the manifest.

Afolabi explained that the process was not intended to create queues or chaos but to make it seamless for people.

“The information provided will be mapped to the number plate of the driver, and the idea is to improve safety and build trust with the government.

“With the introduction of park accreditation, the many mushroom parks in which some ills occur will be phased out,” he said.

The Secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Lagos State chapter, Usman Teslim, said the move was not new, adding that it was simply about transitioning operations from analogue to digital.

“The transport unions are part of this development. We have been having meetings with the government, and we believe that, at the end of the day, there will be a good transport system in Lagos,” he said.

NAN