Lagos to discontinue 25% rebate on state-owned transport services Sunday

The Lagos state government says it will discontinue the 25 percent discount on state-owned transport services on Sunday.

In a statement on Friday, Kolawole Ojelabi, head of corporate communication of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), said the state-owned transport services will return to 100 percent fares on Monday.

“The 25% rebate on regulated public transport buses, ferry, and train ends on Sunday, 28th January 2024. From Monday, 29th January 2024, transport fare on regulated transport services return to 100%,” the statement reads.

BACKGROUND

On July 31, 2023, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, announced a 50 percent reduction in the fares charged by all state-owned transport services.

Sanwo-Olu had said the move was part of the palliatives being rolled out by the state government to cushion the effects of the petrol subsidy removal and the attendant hike in the prices of commodities.

The prices of petrol had soared after President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of petrol subsidy in his May 29, 2023, inauguration address.

In November 2023, the Lagos government discontinued the 50 percent rebate.

Twenty-four hours after the announcement, Sanwo-Olu approved the implementation of a 25 percent discount on state-owned transport services following appeals from residents.

“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 is announced,” the state government had said.