The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Kaduna State will be expanded thanks to a 110 million euro grant from the French government, which was made public on Thursday.
The BRT, supported by the French Development Agency (AFD), will make it easier and more affordable for people to travel around the Kaduna Metropolitan Area.
According to the French embassy in Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Finance signed a deal with AFD to give Kaduna State a EUR 110 million facility to build a state-of-the-art Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. This was done "in keeping with France's commitment towards attaining the 2030 Agenda."
The BRT would increase the accessibility of the city of Kaduna's transportation system while also enhancing its dependability, cost, and safety.
In Kaduna State, 160,000 people will frequently utilise the BRT system, and about 100,000 people will live within walking distance of the line.
Additional environmental advantages include yearly CO2 equivalent savings of 45,000 metric tonnes, improved air quality, and reduced traffic.
The Kaduna Metropolis' predicted population growth to 3 million people by 2030 is directly related to the city's status as a quickly developing and thriving economic hub.
According to France, population and economic growth will cause demand for international travel to increase in the coming years.
It went on to say that “despite encouraging initiatives carried out by the Kaduna State Government, mobility remains characterised by structural challenges,” such as an uncontrolled paratransit business, a lack of a mass public transit system, and gaps in infrastructure and maintenance facilities.
The Kaduna BRT Project is carried out by the Kaduna State Transport Regulatory Authority and is the Transportation Element of the Kaduna State Government’s Urban Renewal Program (KADSTRA).
The project results are:
- 120 articulated 18-meter buses.
- Street lighting.
- Pedestrian crossing facilities.
- A bus depot.
- Intelligent Transport System (ITS) facilities.
- A 24-kilometre BRT system with separated lanes.
Through numerous engineering studies, the fortification of KADSTRA, and the integration of informal operators into the newly minted bus sector, this initiative will assist in setting up sustainable operations of the BRT system.
Since 2010, AFD has supported the Ile-de-France Mobilité in Paris and the Lagos Metropolitan Transport Authority (LAMATA) in Lagos, both of which KADSTRA will have the opportunity to learn from as the project is implemented.