Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) yesterday launched a fleet of 50 ultra-modern high capacity buses under the State Bus Franchise System.

The buses will ply the Iyana Ipaja- Ikotun-Igando to Maryland.

He urged the people to know that they are being watched as role models.

Fashola, who spoke at the Ikeja bus stop terminal of the LAMATA buses, said: "I hope you understand that you are pioneers today in what is easily the biggest bus franchise of the African continent. The whole continent is looking at you."

He said the success of the scheme will depend largely on how well the operators run the scheme.

"We expect you to be models of proper road behaviours, vehicular management and road traffic-compliant as models for people of this state," Fashola said.

The governor said despite the fact that the service is a government- promoted scheme, law enforcement agencies, such as the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA) and others would always do their jobs fairly but firmly to ensure that every one stays within the ambit of the law.

Fashola said the scheme is a response to the request of the people for the deployment of additional Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) buses, reminding that the buses require very reliable infrastructure to work smoothly.

The state government, he said, is working in so many areas to provide roads and bus shelters that would protect the people.

Fashola promised to begin the total rebuilding of the Iyana Ipaja Road, which has outlived its usefulness.

The reconstruction, he said, would be done in phases, adding that the two contractors that will handle the first phase will move to site immediately after the rains.

The Governor said with the deployment of the 50 buses on the Maryland-Iyana Ipaja-Igando Road, travel time would be saved from within 35 to 40 minutes over a distance of about 40 kilometres.

He said the efficiency would also help to raise the standard of life of the people.

Fashola thanked those who have continued to pay their taxes promptly and implored others to do same.

"When you pay promptly, you relief us of the cost and pain of coming to enforce and collect taxes and that also makes more money available to spend," he said.

The Governor went on: "When we ask for this job, we got the opportunity only because you said so, but as you continue to ask, we will continue to respond in multiplicity of ways, by responding where we can, by coming to explain to you where we cannot immediately respond and explaining to you what we would do and when we would do it."