The Kaduna state government has announced that its planned Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system will ease traffic congestion, create thousands of jobs, and reduce carbon emissions when it becomes operational. The 24-kilometre mass transit project will deploy 120 CNG-powered articulated buses, dedicated lanes, bus stops, shelters, and modern terminals. This initiative aims to transform public transportation in the state.
According to Engr. Inuwa Ibrahim, Acting Director-General of the Kaduna State Transport Regulatory Authority (KADSTRA), the state has completed the planning and design stages and is preparing to commence implementation of the project. Ibrahim described the BRT as the first of its kind in Kaduna State and the second in Nigeria after Lagos.
The project is expected to create between 10,000 and 20,000 jobs along the BRT corridor, including employment for drivers, mechanics, and other workers involved in its operation and maintenance. Ibrahim stated that the deployment of 120 articulated buses, as well as bus stops, shelters, and other facilities, would generate significant economic activities around the project.
The use of CNG-powered buses is expected to help reduce transportation costs while providing a cleaner alternative to conventional fuel. Ibrahim noted that the system would contribute to a cleaner environment and that even in the developed world, public transport systems enable lesser fare transportation.
Idris Akinremi, an advanced engineering consultant on the BRT project, said the system was designed to reduce traffic congestion by encouraging motorists to leave their private vehicles and use mass transit. Akinremi stated that the project would improve the efficiency of existing roads without unnecessarily expanding them or demolishing houses to create additional lanes.
About 80 per cent of the corridor would retain the existing carriageways, while the BRT infrastructure would be incorporated into the road design. Technical and social assessments showed that demolishing properties to create additional road lanes in restricted sections would not be economically justified.
The officials said the project would combine improved mass transportation, employment opportunities, and cleaner energy as part of efforts to modernize Kaduna’s urban transport system. The first section of the Kaduna BRT corridor was expected to cover about 17 kilometres, subject to the completion of the final design.
Key points
- The Kaduna BRT project is expected to create between 10,000 and 20,000 jobs along the BRT corridor.
- The project will deploy 120 CNG-powered articulated buses to reduce carbon emissions.
- The BRT system is designed to reduce traffic congestion by encouraging motorists to use mass transit.
