Background

Africa's first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system became operational in March 2008 in Lagos, Nigeria. Named 'BRT-Lite', this new form of BRT focused on delivering improvements in quality of life within a modest budget. The implementation programme, which saw conception to operation collapsed into a 15 month timeframe, together with its delivery cost of $1.7 per km make its development unique and its experience relevant to cities throughout the world seeking to develop BRT schemes.

BRT-Lite's success is not purely down to its infrastructure but whole the approach adopted, which involved reorganisation of the bus industry, financing of new buses, creation of a new institutional structure and regulatory framework to support it, together with training of personnel to drive, maintain enforce and manage the BRT system. While these challenges were being met, the public were engaged and sold a system of which they had no previous knowledge to the extent that upon implementation, takeup was immediate and praise plentiful.

Evaluation of BRT-Lite has declared the scheme an unprecedented success, defining the critical factors of this success as; significant and consistent political commitment; the presence and abilities of a strategic public transport authority - LAMATA; scheme definition which focused on key user needs and deliverability within a budget and tmescale; the work undertaken to engage key stakeholders and ensure that those who benefit are multiple; and a community engagement programme which ensured that BRT-Lite is seen as a community project created, owned and used by Lagosians. The future challenges are to bring further enhancements to the system and meet the high passenger demand through roll-out of the BRT network in Lagos.

Robin Kaenzig is a transport economist working with Integrated Transport Planning (ITP) Limited who carried out the feasibility study for Lagos BRT and are working with LAMATA on rolling out the BRT network in Lagos. Robin is also involved in ITP's BRT projects in Uganda and the Philippines. 

Purpose and agenda

The presentation will discuss how to structure a successful and sustainable urban transport project.

Resource person

Robin Kaenzig
Principal Consultant
Integrated Transport Planning (UK)

Target participants

• Transport and Urban CoP Members