The Lagos Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), operated by Primero Transport Services says to keep serving the people of the state, it has received approval to increase fares and passengers per trip across all routes beginning from Friday.
In compliance with the government’s COVID-19 guidelines for commercial transport operators, Primero Transport Services had to commute 20 passengers per trip instead of 70. The firm said it had been running at a loss since it started complying with the directive. The BRT had suspended operations in the states since Monday.
Mr Fola Tinubu, Managing Director of the BRT, told the News Agency of Nigeria that “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.
“Everywhere commuters are paying N200 for a trip, it is going to be N300 and everywhere commuters are paying N300 per trip, it is going to be N500.”
The firm said it had secured permission from its regulator, the Lagos State Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).
Primero Transport Services said its decision to hike fares was prompted by the difficulty that accompanied the COVID-19 directive. The firm also said it would increase the number of passengers per trip from 20 to 42 and that there would be no passengers standing in its buses.
“We are doing this not to punish anybody or to victimize anybody but because the circumstances we found ourselves forced us to do it.
“We need to make sure the company is on a sound financial footing, and 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.
“The business must be on a solid financial foot. With this, the company cannot survive, and if the company does not survive, it will even cost commuters more in the long run.
“We understand that is going to put some hardship on people but if we don’t do this and the company goes under, it will even cost the people more,” Mr Tinubu said.
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