Lagos danfo drivers yet to comply with 25% fare reduction 10 days after order by Sanwolu
More than ten days after pleas from Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for non-state-owned bus drivers to reduce transport fares by 25 per cent and state-owned buses to reduce it by 50 per cent, a monitoring tour by a team from the Lagos Ministry of Transportation yesterday revealed only partial compliance across all routes to the governor’s directive.
There is even non compliance with some Danfo bus drivers in majority of the routes in Lagos.
During the tour, the Director of Transport Operations of the Lagos Ministry of Transportation, Mr Olasunkanmi Ojoowuro, spoke to Parks and Garages union officials. He conveyed the governor’s concern about transport fares, emphasising that transportation is crucial for all sectors.
Ojoowuro, who represented the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Abdulahfiz Toriola, highlighted the impact of fuel price increases on drivers’ income and how it affects various sectors, including the government. He stressed the need to maintain the right balance in the transport sector.
Ojoowuro also urged transporters to comply with traffic rules to uphold the State’s reputation as the “Centre of Excellence.”
While state-owned buses, including the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), have indeed reduced transport fares by 50 per cent, operators have introduced a N50 tax payment in fares to offset the effect of the 50 per cent fare reduction.
At Iyana-Ipaja bus park, the Ministry of Transportation’s team encountered a BRT bus complying with the 50 per cent directive but adding a N50 tax to fares. For example, the Iyana-Ipaja to Ikeja fare, previously N250, is now N175 (reduced from N125), with the N50 tax included.
At Pen Cinema garage in Agege, commercial bus drivers expressed dissatisfaction with government’s directive, noting that daily ticket was only reduced by 25 per cent (from N800 to N600) while other expenses remained unchanged or even hiked.
From Ojodu Berger to Oshodi Danfo buses collect N600 instead of N400 while from airport road to Mile now cost N500 instead of N300.
Reasons for high cost in transportation fare include PMS (petrol) prices, spare parts, servicing, and various fees charged by the state, such as annual insurance fees and roadworthiness fees.
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