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Lagos BRT Operator ‘Primero’ Says Services Resume Friday, Increase Fares
Primero says BRT services will be restored tomorrow (Friday) after seeking approval from government to increase fares.
Primero says BRT services will be restored tomorrow after seeking approval from government to increase fares.
Primero Transport Services Ltd., operator of the Lagos Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), has increased fares across all routes with effect from Friday after securing approval from the state government.
Recall that the BRT operator had on Monday withdrawn its services over losses occasioned by COVID-19 new transport guidelines.
The state government had mandated it to commute only 20 passengers per trip instead of 70 as one of several measures to curtail the spread of the deadly virus.
Updating reporters after its meeting the government, the Managing Director of Primero, Tinubu said services will be restored tomorrow after resolving all issues with the government.
Tinubu said:
“We are going to increase our pricing effective from tomorrow Friday, May 29. We agreed on this after our talk with the Lagos State Government.
“Everywhere commuters are paying N200 for a trip, it is going to be N300 and everywhere commuters are paying N300 per trip, it is going to be N500.
“We are increasing our fares. We have secured the permission of the regulator (Lagos State Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).
Tinubu added that the decision to increase fares is not to punish the cummuters, but to guaranty the survival of the BRT services.
“We are doing this not to punish anybody or to victimise anybody, but because the circumstances we found ourselves forced us to do it.”
“We need to make sure the company is on a sound financial footing, and if we don’t do this, the buses will not be available in the long run. There will be no way for us to fix buses and bring new buses.”
“We understand that this is going to put some hardship on people but if we don’t do this and the company goes under, it will even cost the people more,”
He added that the number of passengers on the buses would also be increased from the earlier 20 per bus to 42, with no passenger standing.
Tinubu assure that Primero will be back in full operations tomorrow with 320 buses to make sure people get to where they are going in a fast and safe way.
