By Akinwale Kasali
Lagosians are groaning over the proposed hike in the fare of the Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, by the Lagos State Metropolitan Transportation Authority, LAMATA.
Commuters complained that the Covid-19 Pandemic has led to increase in transportation fare, due to the fact that the numbers of passengers in the Bus has reduced by half of the capacity, leading to the hike in price.
“However, for the Government to now increase the fare of the BRT Government Buses further shows their insensitivity to the plight and sufferings of Lagosians.”, an aggrieved Lagosian lamented.
LAMATA said it was set to increase the fare by 46 percent, less than two months after it had earlier increased the fare by 50 percent due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has already assented to the increment.
The bus fare is an average of 46 per cent increase on bus services on the routes operated by the Lagos Bus Services Limited (LBSL).
A statement by the Assistant Director, Corporate Communication, at LAMATA, Kolawole Ojelabi, said the increase takes effect from August the 1st.
He said Governor Sanwo-Olu assented to the bus fare review following a plea by the bus operating company on the need to sustain its operation because of the negative effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on public bus transportation.
The governor also approved LBSL’s request to increase the number of passengers per bus from 20 to 42 in observance of updated COVID-19 protocol, as directed by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in the operation of public transport, while ensuring other measures are in place.
Sanwo-Olu granted LBSL buses permission to access dedicated bus lanes in Lagos State, thus making their journey times predictable on corridors with bus dedicated lanes.
LBSL had argued that conveying not more than 20 passengers per bus, per trip, has resulted in only 14 per cent utilisation of the bus load factor, leading to 72 per cent drop in revenue, while the running costs remained fairly the same.
It said the fare increase would improve LBSL’s operational efficiency and place the bus operating company on the path to sustainability in the medium to long term.
