The Lagos State Parks and Garages Management Committee (LSPG) Chairman, Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya, also known as MC Oluomo, and the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, ordered commercial bus drivers to reduce their transportation costs by 25% starting on August 3, 2023. An order that drivers had ignored.
The directive is reportedly being disregarded across the state, as they continue to charge their regular rates.
Governor Sanwo-Olu has announced several steps, including a reduction in transit prices of by 50% on commercial buses operated by the government and by 25% on commercial buses owned by private individuals, as part of efforts to ease the hardship brought on by the elimination of fuel subsidies.
MC Oluomo had confirmed the directive and instructed state-run commercial buses to lower their fares by 25%.
A day after the instruction was passed, on Friday, the commercial buses were still working with the standard fares.
At the moment, It costs N500 to travel from Iyana Iba to Iyana Ipaja, N500 to travel from Okoko to Mile Two, and N200 to travel from Egbeda to Dopemu. Mile Two to Oshodi remained N500, Egbeda to Oshodi stayed N500, and Ikeja Along to Oshodi was N200. Ijegu to Ikotun still cost N150, but Ikotun to Egbeda cost N300.
Some transport workers at the Iba First Gate Garage recalled the governor’s directive and asked whether any fuel stations had been ordered to lower prices.
They said that the government was only attempting to buy time to quell turmoil in the state by calming strained tempers.
“They knew it was not possible. At the current pump price, after daily delivery to the owners of the buses, we almost go home with nothing, and they are telling us to reduce the fares.
“Our leader has vehicles, he should know the cost of their maintenance; so he joined the governor to give the directive for the sake of it. He didn’t mean it because he knew that it was not workable. It is one of such talks to make angry people happy.”
