Lagos unveils digital passenger manifests, park accreditation for safer interstate travel

Lagos State has introduced a groundbreaking initiative to modernize interstate travel with a new digital passenger manifest system and a park accreditation scheme aimed at enhancing the safety and reliability of road transport across the state.

The announcement was made by the state’s Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, during a news briefing on Friday in Lagos.

According to Osiyemi, the new system is part of an ongoing effort to standardize interstate parks and digitize the passenger information process, marking a major step forward in the modernization of Lagos’ transportation sector.

“This initiative is more than just a modernization project; it is a firm commitment to the safety and comfort of every traveller who uses Lagos as a gateway for interstate travel,” Osiyemi said, emphasizing the need to move away from paper-based manifest systems, which have long been prone to inefficiencies and delays.

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The digital platform will enable real-time capture and storage of passenger information, ensuring that authorities can instantly access accurate data in case of emergencies or incidents.

The new accreditation system will also provide a clear distinction between regulated and unregulated interstate parks in the state.

“Certified parks will display official signage, reassuring passengers that they are boarding from a recognized, trusted location. For the unregulated parks, especially those operating without proper oversight, improvements are being made to meet the new standards,” Osiyemi explained.

Currently, Lagos has 30 regulated parks, with over 100 unregulated ones, and efforts are underway to bring all parks under proper regulation. A pilot project is already running at Ojota.

Olawale Musa, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation, noted that the initiative was essential to track passenger movement in and out of Lagos, making the state’s transport network safer and more organized.

“We are organizing the parks to track who enters and exits Lagos and ensure that only authorised vehicles carry passengers,” Musa said, adding that the new system would also help address security concerns.

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Olamide Afolabi, CEO of Touch and Pay Technology, which is assisting in the implementation of the new system, highlighted that agents would be stationed at the parks to manage the digital manifest.

“The system is designed to be seamless and efficient, with no long queues or chaos. The information will be securely mapped to each vehicle’s number plate,” Afolabi said.

Usman Teslim, Secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in Lagos, welcomed the new system, describing it as a natural progression from analogue to digital operations.

“The unions have been part of this development, and we believe this will improve the transport system in Lagos,” Teslim said.