Ogun to commence airport bus, car hire services

Dapo Abiodun, Ogun state governor, says plans are underway to begin bus shuttles and car hire services at the Gateway International Airport to ease movement for passengers.

Abiodun spoke on Thursday after boarding a ValueJet commercial flight from the airport to Abuja.

He said the proposed shuttle service will transport passengers and their luggage from major towns and cities across the state to the airport.

“We are going to ensure that we have convenient bus transportation from major cities and towns,” the governor said.

“There will be a bus service that will leave at a particular time to conveniently bring passengers from places like Abeokuta, Ijebu-Ode, Ilaro, and others to the airport on time.”

Abiodun said his administration is working to ensure that the airport continues to witness new developments, adding that its global validation since the commencement of commercial operations has been encouraging.

“There is nothing more fulfilling than when you have a vision and see that vision come to fruition. You can see that implementation has been validated by that first flight, which was actually sold out,” Abiodun said.

“This place was a complete forest, and most people did not believe in it, but we believed in it. Our consultants believed in it, and now the missing link in our multi-modal transport master plan is in place, so you can come to Ogun state by road, by rail, and by air.”

‘AIRPORT PROJECT WILL OPEN OPPORTUNITIES’

Also speaking, Olufolarin Ogunbanwo, the Alara of Ilara Kingdom in Epe, Lagos state, who was among the 32 passengers on the flight to Abuja, described the airport as a legacy project that would stand the test of time.

Ogunbanwo said the project would open new opportunities in investment, transportation, tourism, and job creation.

“I am so happy and I feel excited, and I want to congratulate governor Dapo Abiodun and his entire team for this beautiful monumental project that has come to fruition,” he said.

“My kingdom is just about 40 minutes away from here, and it has saved me the rigors of having to go to the Muritala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos, to take a flight.”

On October 7, Abiodun inaugurated the first commercial flight at the airport.

The governor said the project, which began in 2021, was part of his administration’s plan to provide a well-modelled transport system for the state.