In response to public concerns and outrage over the cancellation of the 50 percent rebate on public transportation fares, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has approved a 25 percent discount on regulated bus and rail transportation systems in the state.
The implementation of this directive will commence on Tuesday, November 7, 2023.
The decision to implement this reduction comes after the cancellation of the 50 percent rebate on fares for regulated buses, specifically Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), and rail transport in Lagos.
This sudden change in fare rates had left many commuters stranded and disappointed, as they expressed their concerns over the insensitivity of the government to the economic hardships faced by the masses.
Last weekend, the state government announced a reversion to the previous transportation fare rates in Lagos.
As a result, the 50 percent rebate on fares for regulated transport systems in the state ended on the preceding Sunday.
Governor Sanwo-Olu had initially introduced the 50 percent reduction in public transport fares in August as a response to the removal of fuel subsidies by President Bola Tinubu, which had a substantial impact on the economic hardships faced by many Nigerian households.
The removal of the subsidy led to economic distress for average households across Nigeria, prompting several states to introduce relief packages to alleviate the effects on their citizens. Lagos, in particular, introduced a 50 percent fare reduction on public transport services.
The 25 percent discount approved by Governor Sanwo-Olu, as a concession to public appeals, aims to provide continued relief for commuters during these challenging economic times.
The previous 50 percent fare reduction had saved commuters an estimated N1.9 billion in eight weeks.
Kolawole Ojelabi, the Head of Corporate Communication at the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), emphasized that the implementation of the 25 percent reduction will remain in place until another review is announced.
“Following appeals to the Governor, he has extended the passenger fare reduction by 25 per cent across the regulated bus and rail transport services until another review is announced.
“Within the three months of the rebate, the pump price of diesel jumped from N867 in August to N1,300 in November 2023 representing about 50 percent jump,” he said.
