Lagos Airport Shuttles Breakdown Passengers Trek Long Distance

The challenges faced by air travelers and airport users at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos gets worse daily as the airport shuttles continue to break down at an alarming rate.

The airport shuttles, which were deployed for passengers a few months ago have depleted to just one operational vehicle from its hitherto five buses when it was first introduced.

The airport shuttles were provided as alternatives by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for passengers and other airport users to board at the staff car park within the international wing of the airport to and from the terminal.

When the agency introduced the shuttles, motorists were denied access to the frontage of the terminal and arriving passengers were expected to use the bus to the car park.
But, rather than being a relief to the traveling public, the shuttles have actually added to the harrowing experience they go through at the Lagos Airport as most of them have to queue for almost 30 minutes before the only operational bus would depart the terminal area and return to pick other passengers.

At the peak period, passengers and other users of the terminal are made to wait longer while those who could not wait are compelled to trek the long distance to either the new car park or the staff car park.

The new car park, which is allegedly owned by the former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah was opened for use last October and concessioned for 30 years in an agreement many industry analysts said was shrouded in secrecy.
Immediately it was opened, FAAN compelled travelers or their family members with vehicles to use the car park while initial access to the terminal was warded off.
When SaharaReporters visited the car park today, it gathered that three out of the four grounded shuttles have been bad since late 2017 while efforts were not made by the management of FAAN to return them to service.
One of the shuttle drivers told our correspondent that the vehicles were grounded because of minor mechanical faults to them.

The driver told our correspondent that memos had been written to the Mechanical Department of FAAN for the shuttles to be repaired and return to service, but the management was yet to act on it.
One of the passengers who returned from Europe, Mr. Richard Adekunle lamented to our correspondent the sordid experience he went through before he could board the only shuttle bus to the staff car park.

He said: "In the past, our relatives could drive into the frontage of the arrival area to pick us up, but the situation has since changed. We are either made to wait on the queue for the only bus or trek with our luggage to the staff car park for some of us who didn’t come with our family members to board us from the airport."

“The airport authority should do something about this our unfriendly experience because this is not the situation in Europe or elsewhere and we all know there is no local aviation.”

(SaharaReporters)