By Edith Igbokwe
Passengers are savouring the ease of travelling to the East through the Oshodi Transport Interchange despite payment hitches caused by current rules which direct them to pay at Bolade and board at the Terminal of the interchange.
Some of the passengers who boarded the buses at the Terminal last week and shared their experiences with ECHONEWS expressed satisfaction with the transportation service at the Terminal.
Chika Patrick, a passenger to Owerri, said the integration of many transport companies at the Terminal gives the passengers the opportunity to make an instant choice.
To Mr. Stanley Sunday, a businessman who deals in men footwear, the new development is better considering the seamless service and the comfort of waiting for the bus take off at the Terminal.
However, he, like other passengers, was not satisfied with the idea of first going to Bolade to make payment before coming back to the Terminal to board bus.
“I travel to Aba every week to buy men footwears down to Arena market where I have a shop to make my sales. With this new setting environment, my movement will be more relaxed. However, I don’t like the idea of making payment for transport fare at Bolade first. I was asked to pay N6,000 at Ezenwanta bus station office at Bolade and was directed to move down to Oshodi Terminal 1 where the buses are parked to relax at the passengers waiting area before the bus departure will be announced to passengers.”
He appealed to the interchange management to provide the luxury bus owners with offices to accommodate payment sections and other enquiries.
He noted that passengers are more relaxed in the waiting area watching television programmes before embarking on their journey.
They also seek reduction of the fares charged by the bus companies to various destinations in the Eastern region to raise patronage.
For instance, while Izu-Chukwu Transport charges N5,200 to Aba, Onitsha and Owerri on its new buses, it charges N4,200 for the same destinations on its old buses.
To the same destinations, The Young Shall Grow Transport charges N6,050 while the charges by others such as ABC, Eddyson and Blessed Transports also vary.
.Already, about 10 luxurious buses have been deployed from various private transport companies to the Terminal for the Lagos-East transportation of passengers.
The transport companies that are partnering with the OTI include Ezenwanta Bus, Izu-Chukwu Transport, The Young Shall Grow, ABC Transport, Eddysons Transport and Blessed Transport.
With the rate at which the bus companies are taking up the offer to operate from the OTI, those operating from Bolade Oshodi and other points across Lagos State may be forced to totally vacate their former places of operation to create spaces for easy movement..
The Chief Loader at Izu-Chukwu Transport, Ikenna Aju disclosed that though they have ceased to operate at Bolade, the former bus station, passengers still need to make their payment in their office at Bolade before coming to board a bus at the Terminal.
With the successful introduction of the private transport companies on the East –West route, Echonews learnt of plans to add haulage to the service.
Space for over 40 containers has already been provided at the Terminal for the take-off of the haulage business to make the movement of goods seamless and bridge the gap in that sector.
Some of the products that can be transported through haulage services include Petroleum products such as Kerosene, Liquefied Natural Gas, Premium Motor Spirit, Engine Oil, Diesel, and any other related petroleum products.
They also include consumer goods from manufacturing companies such as; foods and drinks from the manufacturing plants to the distribution or retail destination.
Sand and stones from dredging sites and quarry sites to the construction sites, building materials such as cement, woods, irons, ceiling boards, corrugated sheets, and every other construction material of different types can also be transported by a haulage company.
“To solve the issue of lack of space for haulage storage and large capacity movement of goods, Oshodi Interchange has stepped in to bridge the gap. The provision of space for 40 large containers has been made available for haulage business instead of using vehicles to transport large goods. Goods storage facility has been created to house the goods in a safe place pending the time the goods will be moved to the desired destinations,” an official said.