The Oyo State government says it has approved N9.3 billion for the purchase of 106 new buses for mass transit service in the state.
The state Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mr Seun Fakorede, stated this while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the 29th weekly state executive council meeting, on Wednesday in Ibadan.
Fakorede, who said that the approval was part of the resolutions reached at the meeting, stressed that transportation was a vital factor in the socio-economic development of any nation.
He added that the development of intercity transportation in the state would greatly assist the mobility of the populace and boost the state’s economy.
The commissioner said that the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) scheme, as a major transportation system, had been accepted in some cities across the country over the years.
He said that the Pacesetter Transit Scheme was the replica of the BRT system in the state.
Fakorede said that a transport audit conducted revealed that there were limited numbers of functional buses providing services to the people of the state.
He said that the approval for the purchase of the buses would augment the ones already on ground.
Also, the state Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Adeniyi Farinto, said that the state executive council also approved N69 million for the rehabilitation of two link roads at Akobo area of Ibadan.
He said that the project would be executed through direct labour by the Oyo State Transport and Road Management Agency (OYSTROMA).
According to Farinto, the project will be completed within two months. (NAN)
