31/05/2026
Tinubu Started the Red and BRT Buses; Fashola Executed Them.
The red and blue buses in Lagos stand out for their size and color. But did you know that both bus systems were conceptualized under Tinubu as far back as 2002, while Fashola executed them?
Tinubu's administration created the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) in 2002, which drafted a long-term plan to solve the chaotic transport system in Lagos. This plan included a dedicated Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network.
Because building dedicated lanes for BRT buses takes years of construction, Tinubu launched LAGBUS (the red buses) in 2006, putting them on existing regular roads while the heavier infrastructure for the BRT was being planned.
When Fashola took over as governor in 2007, the plans for the BRT were already on the table, but the physical infrastructure had yet to be built. Fashola became the executor who turned these paper plans into reality.