Commuters of the Lagos Bus Rapid Transport (BRT), have called on the Lagos State , Babajide Sanwo Olu to intervene in the recent hike in bus fare.
Aggrieved commuters of the popular BRT buses vented their agony over the new fare prices saying that it was not the best of decisions considering the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath.
It was gathered that there had recently been an upward review of prices for various routes by the BRT management. Fare prices from Oshodi-Abule Egba jumped from N300 to N350, while Ikeja to Alausa was raised from N100 to N120. Berger to Iyana Ipaja was increased from N200 to N240, while Ogba, CMS, TBS, Obalende got increased to N400 from N350, just as Berger to Obalende was raised from N350 to N400.
Some of the commuters while reacting to the situation said the new development would have a biting effect on their spending. They were of the view that the governor shouldn’t have approved the increment, due to the biting economy, as yellow buses are now taking advantage of the development to also increase fares.
They also pleaded with the governor to impress it on the BRT operators to improve on their services, as well as check the fraudulent activities of some BRT staff, who recharge the boarding card.
Investigations revealed that there was no security on the card. Once it is lost, stolen or misplaced, anybody could continue using it.
Meanwhile, a senior official of the company, who said he was not authorized to address the media, explained that the cost of maintaining the vehicles and other facilities is responsible for the decision.
He said the increment was minimal, compared to the cost of maintenance of the facilities. He appealed to commuters to bear with the company, as the decision was aimed at providing the best service for customers.