By AISHA COLE

The Lagos Bus Service Limited (LBSL) on Sunday rewarded outstanding performers in its employs, just as it said it had reasons to dismiss some erring staff members during the year.

The Managing Director, Mr Idowu Oguntona, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He spoke with NAN on the sidelines of the end-of-the-year town hall meeting with members of LBSL staff, held on Sunday in Oshodi, Lagos.

“We are appreciating 59 of our staff such as Captains, Maintenance and Ground staff with tokens and plaques.

“The Commissioner for Transportation (Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi) has magnanimously doubled the token to appreciate all the awardees and encourage them to do more,” Oguntona said.

He noted that the management had, however, dismissed some staff over misconduct, while some were served punishment in the last 12 months.

The MD urged staff members to work hard, promising that the management would always reward such input.

He said that the LBSL had so far plied 250,000 miles in 2023, the highest in the last four years of operations.

Oguntona commended the efforts of the entire staff for making the organisation proud.

He said that the service had also generated its highest revenue, in spite of the subsidy removal on petroleum products.

“Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu was very proud of the LSBL staff for helping him in achieving seamless transportation in the state.

President Bola Tinubu has also assured us of scaling transportation across the country with about 11,500 Compressed Natural Gas Initiative buses, which would be purchased as immediate response to the high cost of energy; some will also come to us in Lagos State.

“We expect that there is going to be increase in the fleet in 2024,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the bus service currently operates with 200 buses, transporting some 55,000 Lagos residents daily.

Oguntona assured staff members of improved welfare and upscaling of their salaries, to enable them to meet up with their expectations.

He said that all members of staff would be incorporated into the same Health Management Organisation (HMO), to smoothen their access to healthcare in the state.

On his part, Osiyemi appreciated the captains as well as other members of staff for assisting the state governor in achieving its core agenda.

He also reminded the LBSL staff that transportation was the heartbeat of Lagos and the government expected them to be effective

Osiyemi advised them to improve on their hospitality to commuters, to attract more passengers.

One of the LBSL drivers, Capt. Abiodun Paul, commended the management for the salary increment and plan to improve on their HMO to enable them have access to free health facilities.

An enforcement officer, LBSL, Mr Kazeem Ogedengbe, urged management to increase their leave allowance and also to provide more tools for them to be more effective. (NAN)

•PHOTO: From left, Head of Legal LBSL, Ms Folake Sadiq, the Managing Director, Lagos Bus Service Ltd. (LBSL) Mr. Idowu Oguntona, and Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi, during the End-of-the-year Town Hall meeting with staff, held in Oshodi, Lagos, on Sunday.

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