The Lagos State government has declared the 50 percent reduction in public transportation fares halting and the state-wide return to the previous rates.
Old public transportation fares are retroactive as of today.
The communiqué containing the announcement was issued yesterday by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).
“As of Sunday (tomorrow), the 50% fare rebate in the regulated transport system in Lagos will expire,” LAMATA reported.
Upon inquiry, Mr. Kolawole Ojelabi, Corporate Communication Consultant at LAMATA, confirmed the aforementioned information, stating that “the 50 rebate has been discontinued.”
Commuters were notified in the statement that “as of Monday, November 6, 2023, transportation fares will revert to the rate that was in effect before August 2nd, 2023.”
It is worth noting that in August, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu declared a 50% decrease in the fares of public transportation services, such as Bus Rapid Transport (BRT), Standard Routes, First and Last Mile, Rail, and Ferry. This action was taken to offset the impact of the petrol subsidy that had been eliminated previously by President Bola Tinubu.
The abrupt cessation of the subsidy precipitated an economic crisis for the majority of Nigerian households, which led some states to implement relief packages.