By Khadijah Kubau
The proposed Kaduna Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system is expected to create between 10,000 and 20,000 jobs and provide residents with a more efficient and affordable means of transportation.
The Managing Director of Kaduna Line and Acting Director-General of the Kaduna State Transport Regulatory Authority, KASTRA, Engineer Inuwa Ibrahim, disclosed this during a media engagement on the proposed BRT project in Kaduna.
Engineer Ibrahim said the project, which will cover a 24-kilometre corridor, had completed its design and planning stages and was now approaching the implementation phase.
He described the initiative as the first BRT system in Kaduna State and the second of its kind in Nigeria after Lagos.
According to him, the project will deploy about 120 articulated buses, alongside dedicated lanes, bus shelters and other supporting infrastructure.
He said the project would generate significant employment opportunities across its operations, including for drivers, mechanics, maintenance workers and other personnel.
“We are expecting to have about 10 to 20,000 jobs for this BRT corridor of just 24 kilometres,” he said.
Engineer Ibrahim explained that the dedicated BRT lanes would allow buses to operate with minimal disruption from traffic congestion, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of public transportation in the state.
He further said the BRT system would help cushion the impact of rising transportation costs, particularly at a time when residents are facing increased fuel prices.
The KASTRA Acting Director-General explained that the buses would operate on Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, which he said was cheaper to operate and cleaner than conventional fuel.
He added that the use of CNG would also help reduce environmental pollution and contribute to a cleaner environment in Kaduna State.
“We are using CNG all through, which is cheaper and cleaner. Even our environment will be cleaner than it used to be when we start the operation of the BRT system,” he said.
