Passengers, airport users lament shortage of shuttle buses

Some passengers and other airport users have called for the provision of more shuttle buses at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
The buses were introduced to convey airport users and passengers from designated car parks to the airport terminal building as part of efforts to reduce access of vehicles close to the facility.
Some passengers said that some of the buses had stopped working a few months after they were inaugurated.
They claimed that those operational were fewer, compared to the number of people that needed the service.
Mr Fidelix Chigbue, one of them, said that the situation had adversely affected the number of passengers waiting for buses at the park, particularly during busy periods.
He said that in most cases, some passengers decided not to wait for the buses in order not to miss flights.
“There are fewer buses operating here at the moment. Ordinarily, this ought not to be the situation because when you park, you should not spend more than a few minutes to access the main terminal building.
“But what you find is that sometimes you could be waiting for almost 20 minutes. It is easy for you to miss your flights because of the time you have wasted here waiting for the buses to come,’’ he said.
A passenger waiting for the bus, Mr Tade Ojewunmi, said that the situation needed to be addressed as soon as possible.
“Something needs to be done urgently. You cannot imagine standing in the sun and waiting for long for buses to come.
“There should be a shed to shield people from the sun, rather than allowing us to stand in the open while waiting,” he said.
Another intending passenger, who identified herself as Shade, said that most of the buses were not working.
She said that only two buses were still working, and they sometimes, had problems.
In his reaction, Mr Yakubu Dati, General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said that six new shuttle buses had been added to the fleet.
He described the operation of the buses as a temporary measure, pending the completion of the new international terminal.
He said that the newly re-constructed terminal was expected to start operation soon.
“You recall that when the buses started, they were about 10 and eventually some broke down; as I speak, just near the terminal, you will see the six new buses.
“These buses are provided free of charge to alleviate the inconveniences suffered by travellers.
“Usually where there is construction going on, there are areas that are isolated because of safety; that is why we relocated the car park and provide shuttle buses,’’ he said.
He appealed to the traveling public to be patient.
“We will continue to make sure that the comfort of our passengers remains our priority,’’ he said.