NewsAirport Security: Use Of Kombi Buses At MMA Worries Experts

Airport Security: Use Of Kombi Buses At MMA Worries Experts

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BEVERLY HILLS, February 16, (THEWILL) – There are fears that commercial buses, popularly known as Kombi buses, plying the airport access road in the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) area in Lagos may pose security challenges to both the public and airport users.

It was gathered that, presently, there are about 100 kombi buses operating on the road that the background of the owners, the drivers and the buses’ registration particulars may not be substantially known and guaranteed for the airport security assessment.

For a more serene airport environment, most stakeholders in the nation’s aviation industry have advised for a more organised shuttle system within the airport premises.

For instance, Centurion Aviation Safety and Security Consults (CSSC), a company that has over the years been involved with the security of the Nigerian airports, had proposed to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to consider giving it the concession for running global standard shuttle transport buses between the MMA four terminals of General Aviation Terminal (GAT), MM2, the International Terminals and the Cargo Terminals.

In a letter addressed to the Managing Director of FAAN, with reference number: CSSC/FAAN/300/19/003 dated 19th August, 2019, Chief Executive Officer of CSSC, Group Captain John Ojikutu, had declared his intention to give the airport, the desired international image and to assist FAAN achieve global best practice of ACI for its airports with a view to providing a friendly, standard, 36-Seater transit bus services for passengers and airport users.

This proposal, with the title: “Proposal For The Concession of Shuttle Buses For Passengers Between Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminals”, according to Ojikutu, was planned to reduce the airport motor traffic by about 30 per cent if the Kombi buses are replaced by standard buses and by 50 per cent if FAAN would address the closure of Bisam and airport toll gates.

Ojikutu further stressed that in the midst of the complicated and uncontrolled urban development and other surrounding road networks including the Airport Service Road, the airport could be a reservoir for the overflow of disturbances from the urban environment.

“The heavy traffic on that road could also be an albatross to the management of the airport in the event of any serious occurrence of Airport Emergency, requiring urgent evacuation of victims of aircraft accidents.

“Moreover, the security of the airport infrastructure and safety of travelling passengers cannot be sufficiently guaranteed”.

According to him “Solving the problems of the Airport Service Road, should start with FAAN management retaking and exercising proper ownership of the airport service road that is presently being used as a public road.

The objectives will be to restricting the public traffic transiting on the road from Abeokuta Express Road to Apapa-Oshodi Road and return; retaking and claiming may also require closing the road linking the Bisam Area to the Airport Service Road and closing the toll gate which its purpose is only to generate revenue from the public users and not entirely to service the airport users”.

Meanwhile, the Murtala Mohammed Airport Security had recently come under the focus of the industry stakeholders and the public.

First was the concern expressed by the British High Commissioner that the airport lacks shuttle buses for passengers connecting flights between local and international passengers.

His concern probably borne out of security concern may not be unconnected to the heavy traffic on the 5 kilometers Airport Service Road turned public which could be source of danger or insecurity to newcomer passenger to the airport.

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