LAGBUS management trains over 1,000 drivers

The LAGBUS Asset Management Company, operators of Lagos metropolitan red buses, said that the company had trained no fewer than 1,000 drivers on best performance and practices of transportation.

Mr Babatunde Disu, LAGBUS Managing Director, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday shortly after the sensitisation and training of the programme tagged: “Sustaining the Red Brand through Service Improvement’’.

He said that the exercise was to further increase the drivers’ skills so as to enhance their operations when on the road.

Disu said that the management would continue to train its captains and franchise operators saying this had helped to reduce crashes involving LAGBUS operators on the roads.

He also appealed to other road users to always report any of their operators found wanting in the performance of their duties to LAGBUS management.

The managing director said that LAGBUS management did not give an target to any of its drivers to be met, but that the company only introduced what he called “performance-pay incentive’’ to enhance their productivity.

“We have not imposed any target on any of our staff; what we have in place is a performance-pay incentive.

“The performance-pay incentive is based on how much work they do, so we have a pay structure where our bus captains get a certain amount of money which can be referred to as attendant pay.

“We also get another portion of money as performance pay which is based on four per cent of the total revenue they make during their shift.

“So the more money you make during your shift, the more you are likely to earn. It is not a target. It is a way of ensuring bus captains work efficiently,’’ Disu said.

Also, Mr Femi Olusheyi, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Transport, said that the training was to update the drivers in terms of driving carefully and maintaining good relationship with the passengers.

Olusheyi urged the drivers to put in their best and apply the knowledge gained from the training during their daily work on the road.

“Government is working to make sure that the comfort of the passengers is guaranteed.

“People should give us feedback so that government can correct the drivers on what to do and what they have done wrongly,’’ Olusheyi said.

Mr Abdulhafiz Toriola, the Chief Vehicle Inspection Service, Lagos State, who was represented by Mr Adebayo Olusoji, urged the drivers to always cultivate good human relations toward their customers.

Toriola said that all LAGBUS drivers should conduct a thorough check on their buses before rolling out on daily basis.

“All the functional systems in the buses must be checked and they must report their findings to the management to act upon to ensure that the buses are road worthy before rolling out.

“This attitude will not only reduce accidents on our roads but will also reduce untimely rickety of buses, Toriola said.

NAN reports that the management also engaged medical experts who conducted check-ups on the drivers while the LAGBUS management presented certificates to the participants.