Lagos Car Owners Find Succour In BRT
The popular Berger Bus Stop for the Lagos Bus Rapid Transit was overcrowded by commuters Tuesday morning, following government’s plan to reduce the transport fare.
Many car owners who could not drive their vehicle anymore due to increased PMS pump price to N600 resorted to BRT buses.
At present the BRT fare from Berger to Tafawa Balewa Square on Lagos Island is N400, using cowrie card but the price will be N200 from Wednesday.
The state governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced on Monday among many of his government palliative measures against removal of fuel subsidy that the fares of all government owned buses and cars would be reduced by 50 per cent.
It appears that many of the car owners did not read the story to the end to know that the new regulation would start tomorrow.
They parked their cars at home to join the BRT queue on Tuesday.
Recall that the BRT bus stop was vandalised and scores of buses burnt by the ENDSARS protesters about two years ago.
Currently, the place is undergoing rehabilitation, yet it is always filled to the brim by passengers, especially during the peak period in the morning and evening.
Some of the commuters who spoke to Echonews lamented that they had been on the queue for more than two hours due to sudden rise in the population of passengers.
It was also observed that the buses now carried more passengers standing than those sitting.
“We have created another line for the standing passengers and we do not force them to stand”, one of the BRT bus conductors said as she was controlling the crowd.
Speaking to Echonews, a corporately dressed commuters, Mr. Akinoso Daniel said he had since stopped driving to the Island since the PMS price had increased.
He told our correspondent that he had been joining BRT for more than two years now and had witnessed its dwindling fares from N150 to N200, and N300; and later N400.
“Now that the government is set to reduce it to N200, we cannot but go thank Sanwo-Olu for showing concern,’ Daniel said.
However, Lagos government had said that it would increase the numbers of the BRT fleet so that it can cater for more passengers on Wednesday.
