Hours in the Queue, Bodies at the Door: The Ordeal of Lagos BRT Passengers

Hours in the Queue, Bodies at the Door: The Ordeal of Lagos BRT Passengers

By Kunle Awosiyan

What can we, as a people, maintain in this country if not corruption? If you think corruption exists only among politicians and public office holders, perhaps it is time to reconsider that assumption. It can also manifest in everyday interactions, including the way some public transport workers treat commuters.

The Lagos Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and LAGBUS services were introduced to provide a more organised, comfortable and reliable alternative to conventional commercial buses. For many Lagosians, the air-conditioned, high-capacity buses represented a welcome departure from the chaotic experience associated with the old Molue buses.

Today, however, commuters are increasingly questioning whether that promise is being sustained. At some bus terminals, particularly Berger and Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), passengers complain of prolonged waiting times, poor queue management, overcrowding and the conduct of some bus attendants.

What should be a well-coordinated public transport service can sometimes become an exhausting struggle for commuters who simply want to get home or arrive at work on time.

The situation raises a troubling question of how a transport system designed to improve the commuting experience begin to exhibit some of the very problems it was expected to eliminate.

One of the recurring complaints from commuters concerns the alleged manipulation of bus queues and the availability of buses at peak periods.

Passengers sometimes wait under the scorching sun or in the rain for extended periods, only for buses to appear when the waiting crowd has become difficult to manage.

Workers may cite inadequate buses or operational difficulties, but commuters deserve a transparent explanation of the problem and a system that manages available vehicles efficiently.

Where passengers suspect that delays are being deliberately prolonged to create opportunities for unofficial payments or other personal benefits, the transport authorities must investigate such complaints rather than dismiss them.

Two weeks ago, there was a clash between bus attendants and passengers over alleged favouritism and bribery, which eventually left many commuters stranded at TBS bus terminal.

Last week, attendants went on strike over the previous clash with the commuters. Passengers who had loaded their cowry catd had to join commercial buses who capitalised on the fracas to load at TBS at exorbitant price.

Public transport should not become a system in which passengers feel compelled to pay extra money or negotiate their way into a bus simply to reach their destinations.

The issue is not merely about corruption, It is also about the absence of effective supervision, weak enforcement of operating rules and a failure to place commuters at the centre of service delivery.

Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the experience is the overcrowding reported on some routes.

A standard high-capacity BRT bus is designed to carry approximately 70 passengers, depending on the vehicle model and its approved configuration. Yet commuters have complained of situations in which far more people are squeezed into a single bus, with some standing in uncomfortable positions near the doors.

Such conditions raise serious questions about passenger safety, comfort and compliance with approved capacity limits.

The BRT system was not designed to reproduce the conditions associated with the old Molue, where passengers could be packed into vehicles with little regard for comfort. Its purpose was to offer a safer, more predictable and more dignified commuting experience.

When passengers are forced to endure similar conditions on a modern public transport system, the authorities must ask whether the problem lies in insufficient fleet capacity, poor scheduling, weak enforcement or a combination of these factors.

No matter how intense the demand for transportation becomes, passenger safety must not be sacrificed in the name of moving more people.

The physical condition of some buses is another issue that deserves attention.
When the modern buses were introduced, their air-conditioning, comfortable seats and relatively clean interiors made them attractive to commuters. They offered a refreshing alternative to the often-uncomfortable conditions of conventional commercial buses.

Over time, however, passengers have raised concerns about deteriorating vehicle conditions, including damaged windscreens, defective doors and other signs of inadequate maintenance.

There have also been complaints about charging ports that were initially available to passengers but later became unavailable on all the vehicles.

Investigation shows that the charging ports were removed through vandalism, theft, damage or poor maintenance. The disappearance of these facilities represents a loss of value for commuters.

These may appear to be minor issues compared with the larger challenges of traffic congestion and fleet shortages, however they reveal the importance of maintaining public assets after the initial excitement surrounding their introduction has faded.

Procuring modern buses is only the first step. Keeping them in good condition, protecting their facilities and ensuring that passengers enjoy the benefits for which public funds were committed are equally important responsibilities.

A bus that looks impressive when it is commissioned but deteriorates because of poor maintenance and supervision cannot deliver lasting value to the public.

While funding, fleet size and infrastructure are important, the human factor cannot be ignored.
The conduct of drivers, bus attendants and terminal personnel can determine whether commuters experience a smooth journey or a daily ordeal.

Public transport workers operate under difficult conditions. They face traffic congestion, demanding schedules, passenger pressure and the challenge of managing large crowds. These realities deserve recognition, and workers should be provided with the tools, training and working conditions necessary to perform their duties effectively.

However, operational difficulties cannot justify abusive conduct, deliberate inefficiency, unauthorised charges or disregard for passenger safety.

The Lagos Bus Service Limited and other relevant transport authorities need to invest more deliberately in human capacity development. This should include customer-service training, ethical conduct, queue management, conflict resolution and strict adherence to passenger-loading rules.

There must also be a credible mechanism for passengers to report misconduct, with complaints investigated and appropriate sanctions imposed where wrongdoing is established.

Where staff shortages, inadequate remuneration or poor working conditions contribute to misconduct, management should address those structural problems as well. Discipline and staff welfare should work together, not against each other.

Lagos State is pursuing a broader transformation of its public transport system, including the introduction of cleaner buses.

LAMATA has announced electric-bus initiatives alongside compressed natural gas-powered buses as part of efforts to expand lower-emission public transportation. The state has also outlined ambitions for a much larger electric-bus fleet through planned projects and partnerships.

These initiatives offer an opportunity to improve the commuting experience, reduce transport-related emissions and modernise public transportation across Lagos.

But the success of this transition will not be determined by the number of electric buses procured alone.

A new fleet cannot, by itself, eliminate poor customer service, overcrowding, weak supervision or the alleged exploitation of passengers. Even the most advanced electric bus will fail to meet public expectations if it is operated under the same conditions that undermine existing services.

The government must therefore pursue two complementary objectives: expanding and modernising the fleet while improving the management, maintenance and conduct of those responsible for operating it.

The Lagos State Government, through the Lagos Bus Service Limited, LAMATA and other relevant agencies, should consider the following measures:

First, improve fleet availability and scheduling. Bus deployment should reflect passenger demand, especially during morning and evening rush hours. Commuters should receive clearer information about delays and service disruptions.

Second, enforce passenger-capacity limits. Terminal supervisors must prevent dangerous overcrowding and ensure that buses operate within their approved passenger limits.

Third, investigate allegations of unofficial payments and deliberate delays. Authorities should establish accessible complaint channels, protect passengers who report misconduct and publish information about disciplinary action where wrongdoing is substantiated.
Fourth, introduce regular vehicle inspections. Broken doors, damaged windscreens, defective air-conditioning and other maintenance problems should be documented and addressed promptly. Passenger facilities, including charging ports, should be protected and restored where practicable.

Fifth, strengthen staff training and supervision. Drivers, conductors, terminal attendants and managers should understand that public transport is a service, not an opportunity to intimidate or exploit passengers.

Finally, make accountability measurable. The authorities should monitor waiting times, overcrowding complaints, bus availability, vehicle downtime and customer satisfaction. Regular publication of these indicators would help the public assess whether the system is improving.

Lagos is a megacity whose residents spend valuable hours navigating traffic and moving between home, work, school and business appointments. A dependable mass transit system is therefore not a luxury; it is an essential part of the city’s economic and social infrastructure.

When commuters spend excessive time waiting for buses, endure unsafe overcrowding or face disrespect from transport workers, the consequences extend beyond inconvenience. Productivity suffers, workers arrive late, families spend more time apart and the daily burden of living in Lagos becomes heavier.

The BRT and LAGBUS systems were introduced to offer a better alternative to the disorder associated with conventional mass transit. Their continued relevance depends on whether that promise can be sustained through effective management and responsible service delivery.
Lagos deserves modern buses, but it also deserves modern standards of public service.

The question is no longer simply how many buses the government can procure. It is whether the buses already on the road are being maintained, properly deployed and operated in a manner that respects the people who depend on them.

Until these operational and human-capacity challenges are addressed, the fear will remain that Lagos is investing in modern buses while allowing the commuting experience to slide back towards the era of the Molue.

A modern transport system is not defined by the appearance of its buses alone. It is defined by the quality, safety, reliability and dignity of the service it delivers to the public.