AmaechiThe Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, said on Monday the Federal Government plans to intoeoduce bicycle riding in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The project is expected to aid physical fitness and boost investment in the country.
He also said the Lagos-Ibadan rail project would lead to employment of 150,000 people.
Rotimi disclosed these at the end of the 15th meeting of National Council on Transportation with the theme: ‘Efficiency of Inter-modality in Transportation: Panacea for Economic Recovery.”
He said: “The National Council on Transportation is a policy making Council and we have approved that we should do a pilot project on bicycle riding in FCT because it is the only city that has facility for bicycle riding.
“We decided that we do it in Abuja because if you check, nearly all the roads in Abuja have lanes for bicycle.”
“It is there in China and UK. It is an investment and would also help exercise and reduce the number of passengers that are looking for more modern form of transportation within the cities.
“Other states that want to do it must provide facility before they can proceed with it because we want to separate cyclists from the roads because some motorists can be very impatient with them.
“So states that want to go ahead can do that. But they must provide lanes for bicycle so that we don’t have numerous accidents.”
On the Lagos-Ibadan rail project, the minister added: “Construction work on the railway would really boost economy. Between Lagos to Ibadan, the railway work that is going on there would produce jobs for about 150,000 workers and when it is done, the business it would generate would help employ more people.”
