To sustain the operations of regulated bus services in Lagos State, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has approved a flat rate increase by N100 in bus fares for all Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and standard routes.
With the increase, a bus ride from Ikorodu to TBS will now cost N600, Berger to Ajah becomes N700, Oshodi to Abule-Egba will cost N450 and Abule-Egba to CMS/Obalende will becomes N600.
The increase will become effective July 13.
Governor Sanwo-Olu also approved proposal for a bail out for the bus operating companies (route franchise operators/concessionaires), to cushion effects of the harsh operating environment, safeguard private partnership investment, and forestall the demise of formalised bus operations in the state.
Operations of the transport scheme, of late, has been hampered due to rising cost of inputs required for sustainable service offering, and the attendant high number of buses out of operation due to lack of spare parts.
For instance, the exponential increase in the pump price of diesel from N187 to N830/litre between August 2020 and June 2022 has affected the optimal performance of the bus operating companies leading to the withdrawal of buses from operation and longer waiting time at bus stations.
The Governor also approved appeals by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) for the conversion of the current diesel buses to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and a shift to economically-viable and environmentally-friendly mobility energy solution that are cost efficient and maximise operations cost, such as electric vehicles, hydrogen buses and the development of hybrid energy sources as alternative fueling for the current Bus Reform Initiative (BRI) buses.