The Managing Director, Bus Rapid Transport (BRT), Mr. Fola Tinubu, has said that BRT fares would increase by about 50 per cent from Friday May 29 after getting approval.
The Primero Transport Services Limited, operators of the BRT, said this on Thursday, noting that it got approval from the regulator of the sector, the Lagos State Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, to increase the fares.
Tinubu had told NAN that the management of the company would resolve the issues after a meeting with the government.
“An agreement had been reached for the fares to be increased. We are going to increase our pricing effective from tomorrow, Friday, May 29. We agreed on this after our talk with the Lagos State Government.,” he noted.
Continuing, Tinubu said: “Everywhere commuters are paying N200 for a trip is going to be N300. Everywhere commuters are paying N300 per trip is going to be N500.”
“We are increasing our fares. We have secured the permission of the regulator, Lagos State Metropolitan Area Transport Authority.”
The MD added that the number of passengers on the buses would also be increased to 42, with no passenger standing on buses as against 20 earlier approved by the government to curb the spread of COVlD-19.
According to him, the firm understands the plight of the people and the economic situation, but the step became imperative to keep serving the commuters diligently and to provide a world-class service for them.
Speaking to NAN, Tinubu expressed: “We need to make sure the company is on a sound financial footing. If we don’t do this, the buses will not be available in the long run and there will be no way for us to fix buses and bring new buses.”
He noted that the LAMATA External Relations Specialist, Kola Ojelabi, confirmed the development. “The decision was taken in the interest of commuters, many of whom had been stranded after BRT buses were withdrawn from the road”.
“In order for the people not to suffer, the government had to agree to them increasing the fare and the number of passengers. For the few days that buses were not on the road, people knew what they went through,” he bemoaned.
