In a bid to provide much-needed relief to commuters, the Lagos State Government, through the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), has announced a 25% transport fare discount on the Lagos State Public Transport System. The decision was disclosed in a public notice issued by LAMATA on Monday, November 6, 2023, via its official X (formerly Twitter) account.
According to the notice, the 25% fare reduction will officially commence from Tuesday, November 7, 2023, on all LAMATA-controlled public transport systems, including buses and rail transport.
This initiative comes on the heels of the recent termination of a 50% transport fare discount that was introduced on all Lagos State Public Transport Systems in response to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s directive on August 2, 2023. The temporary 50% fare reduction ended last Sunday, causing fares to revert to their pre-discount rates.
LAMATA’s statement clarified that the extension of the passenger fare reduction by 25% across the Lagos State Public Transport System was a result of appeals for the reinstatement of the 50% rebate on LAMATA-controlled bus and rail transport.
The statement further explained that the decision to initially suspend the discount on transportation fares, which had been in effect since August, was influenced by a significant increase in the pump price of diesel within the three-month period of the rebate.
Governor Sanwo-Olu’s Response
LAMATA’s statement also included a direct response from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who announced the 25% fare reduction. The statement read:
“Responding to calls for the reinstatement of the 50% rebate on fare for regulated bus and rail transport, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has directed the implementation of a 25% discount beginning Tuesday, 7th November 2023. Governor Sanwo-Olu had on 2nd August 2023 announced a 50% discount in fare on regulated transport bus and rail transport, which ended on Sunday. Following appeals to the Governor, he has extended the passenger fare reduction by 25% across the regulated bus and rail transport services until another review announcement. Within the three-month period of the rebate, the pump price of diesel jumped from N867 in August to N1,300 in November 2023, representing about a 50% jump.”
This initiative was first introduced on July 31 when Governor Sanwo-Olu announced a 50% reduction in transport fares for state-owned buses and a 25% reduction for commercial yellow buses on all routes. The move was aimed at mitigating the impact of the removal of the petrol subsidy and was scheduled to take effect from Wednesday, August 2, 2023. The governor also revealed the expansion of the fleet of staff buses for workers in the Lagos State Public Service to further alleviate the impact of the subsidy removal. These buses are ready for deployment through the office of the Head of Service of the state.
