The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, LAMATA, has announced an 18% rise in rates for its Bus Reform Initiative, or BRI, scheme. The upward review will take effect on February 17. LAMATA stated that the decision to raise rates was due to growing diesel costs and the large number of buses that were out of service due to a lack of replacement parts.
“The fare increase is due to an increase in operating costs and the necessity to ensure that buses continue to run and provide transportation throughout Lagos.
“We seek your understanding and cooperation,” LAMATA stated in a statement. Recall that in 2020, Primeiro Transport Services Ltd., the operator of the Lagos Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, said that it had received authority to increase its tariffs across all lines in order to continue servicing the people.
The company had withdrawn its services due to losses caused by COVID-19 new transportation guidelines, which required it to commute just 20 passengers per trip instead of 70. Again, in 2022, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu approved a N100 flat rate hike in bus tickets for all Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, and regular routes as part of measures to maintain operations.
The hike, which began on Wednesday, July 13, 2022, was intended to ensure the sustainability of the BRT and standard route plans. Further assessments of BRT fares happened during the Naira devaluation crisis and when the subsidy was removed, resulting in inflation. The Lagos State government viewed the fee reductions as “palliatives” at the time.
