Lagos: Commuters shun BRT for Danfo buses as increase in fares takes effect
Since commencing the new hike in bus fares across Lagos state, commuters have begun shunning BRT buses.
Commuters in the state had expressed disappointment at the decision to increase fares by operators of the BRT scheme.
Early Monday morning, a Newsroom Nigeria correspondent gathered that it was no longer business as usual at the Iyana-Ipaja terminal, where commuters usually board BRT buses to Ikeja.
At the terminal, BRT buses used to operate for N50, while commercial buses, popularly known as Danfo, continue to operate between N100 and N150.
The BRT fare has now been increased to N100 to any bus-stop.
Commuters were made to wait longer than usual after filling the seats on a bus at the terminal, as the driver waited for passengers who would pay to take “standing”. The driver disappeared for several minutes under the guise of going to ease himself.
The usually crowded terminal was noticeably empty as commuters trooped past the only bus available at the time.
“This has been the problem since the increment,” a passenger lamented. “No one wants to pay a N100 and still stand.”
When the waiting passengers became impatient as no passenger was willing to pay to stand, they shouted on the driver to embark on the journey without carrying “standing” passengers and he reluctantly obliged.
“The plan was not well thought-out,” another passenger noted. “Before, the bus could take as many as 100 passengers (standing inclusive), but now, they struggle to fill about 50 seats.”
Many passengers, rather than wait for BRT buses to arrive at the terminal, now prefer to board the readily available Danfo buses as there is barely any difference in fares, Newsroom gathered.
Lagos state government has, however, declared its intention to rid its roads of the popular black-striped yellow buses, as part of its aims in achieving a dream mega city.
