Commuters
using the LAGBUS and Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, buses in Lagos will pay more from
March 1, following the Lagos State Government’s approval of upward review in
their fares.
Thousands of Lagos
residents queue up daily to make use of the buses to enjoy lower fares and use
the BRT to beat gridlock in the city due to their use of dedicated lanes.
The Lagos State
Government said on Monday that it had approved fare increase ranging from 20
per cent to 67 per cent on different routes plied by the buses.
Abiodun Dabiri, Managing
Director, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, LAMATA, told journalist
in Alausa that the new fare structure for regulated bus operators in the state
would take effect from March 1.
He said that though the
government was mindful of the current financial difficulties residents were
going through, it approved the fare increase to save the bus schemes from
collapse.
Mr. Dabiri said what the
bus operators spent on fuel had gone up 71 per cent, oil by 64 per cent and
tyre by 90 per cent, threatening their continued operations.
“In view of this and
with government’s responsibility to avert a collapse of the franchise scheme,
which currently serves over 500,000 commuters daily, government had to consider
request by the operators for an upward review of bus fares,” he said.
Mr. Dabiri said the
current fares charged on some of the schemes had stayed constant for more than
six years in the case of some operators.
He said that though the
government granted the request for fare increase, it would not allow transport
users to do so arbitrarily.
According to him, the
operators have also been advised to improve their cost efficiency and
effectiveness.
“It will be difficult to
pass the entire cost of operations to the consumers, bearing in mind that a lot
of the users are in the low income bracket,” Mr. Dabiri said.
He appealed to commuters
to show understanding as the new fares take effect.
The News Agency of
Nigeria reports that from March 1, commuters from Ikorodu to Mile 12 would pay
N100 as against N75.
According to Mr. Dabiri,
combining two zones like going from Ikorodu to Fadeyi will be N200 instead of
N120, while combining three zones – Ikorodu to CMS – will be N300, instead of
N200.
Giving a breakdown of
the new fares on the LAGBUS routes, its Managing Director, Idowu Oguntona, said
that the fare from CMS to Ajah would be N200, up from N150.
He said that commuters
from Leventis to Eko Hotel would pay N100 instead of N70, while those going to
CMS from Oshodi would pay N150 as against N100.
Mr. Oguntona said the
new fare regime would affect the 61 routes of LAGBUS.
