The Kaduna Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, when completed, is expected to create between 10,000 and 20,000 jobs, thereby providing employment to teeming jobless youths.
The Acting Director-General of the Kaduna State Transport Regulatory Authority (KASTRA), Alhaji Inuwa Ibrahim, disclosed this while speaking with journalists on the proposed BRT project in Kaduna on Monday.
Ibrahim said the project, which will cover a 24-kilometre corridor, will provide residents with a more efficient and affordable means of transportation.
The Acting DG noted that the project, which is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2027, is the first BRT system in Northern Nigeria and the second of its kind in Nigeria after Lagos, when completed.
According to him, the project will deploy about 120 articulated buses, alongside dedicated lanes, bus shelters and other supporting infrastructure.
He said the project would generate significant employment opportunities across its operations, including for drivers, mechanics, maintenance workers and other personnel.
“We are expecting to have about 10 to 20,000 jobs for this BRT corridor of just 24 kilometres,” he said.
He noted that the dedicated BRT lanes would allow buses to operate with minimal disruption from traffic congestion, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of public transportation in the state.
The KASTRA Acting Director-General explained that the buses would operate on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), which he said was cheaper to operate and cleaner than conventional fuel.
He added that the use of CNG would also help reduce environmental pollution and contribute to a cleaner environment in Kaduna State.
“We are using CNG all through, which is cheaper and cleaner. Even our environment will be cleaner than it used to be when we start the operation of the BRT system,” he said.