BRT boss gives reason for queues at Ikorodu bus stations

Primero Transport Services Ltd., operator of the Lagos Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), says blockage of BRT lane by other traffic responsible for queues at Ikorodu and few other bus stations on Monday.

Our correspondent reports that the BRT operator had on Thursday announced an upward review of transport fares across all routes with effect for May 29 to meet up with current challenges.

The BRT operator had earlier withdrawn its services from May 25 over losses occasioned by COVID-19 new transport guidelines that mandated it to commute only 20 passengers per trip instead of 70.

The firm resumed operation on Friday morning with a new fare regime, promising to roll out 320 buses to end long queues and wait time its bus stations.

“We will be back in full operations and will put 320 buses out to make sure people get to destinations in time and safely.

“We will ensure that going forward, the wait time and queues at bus stations is reduced,” Mr Fola Tinubu, the Managing Director of Primero Transport Services Ltd, had assured.

Meanwhile, on Monday morning, NAN correspondent observed queues at Ikorodu Bus Station with commuters complaining that they were yet to see reduction in waiting time at BRT bus stations.

Reacting on the queues, Tinubu told NAN that while the firm rolled out 305 buses on Monday to commute people to their destinations, blockage of BRT corridor by other traffic affected turnover of buses.

“The queues was caused by traffic blocking our corridor this morning. When the task force showed up and freed our buses, there was no more queue after that.

“We rolled out 305 buses, we can only appeal to the law enforcement agencies to help us clear the corridor to ensure no encroachment.

“We also appeal to drivers to respect the corridor and not go on it.

“Finally, the government need to fix the bad portion of the road at Kosofe that causes the traffic in the first instance,” the MD said.

It was reported that the BRT operator had announced that a trip that cost commuters N200 had been increased to N300, and that of N300 had risen to N500.

Tinubu had said that the firm understood the plight of the people and the economic situation, but that the step became imperative to keep serving the commuters diligently and to provide a world-class service for them.

According to him, cost of operating the buses has increased so much that the firm is finding it difficult to survive and sustain operations, and had been piling up losses.