Fola Tinubu explains increase in LAGBUS

THE Managing Director of Primero Transport Services Limited, Mr. Fola Tinubu has justified the reason the company increased transport fares. The increment which commenced last month was increased by 25%.
Speaking with the community media practitioners at Alausa-Ikeja, recently, Tinubu said that though the government was mindful of the current financial difficulties residents were going through, it has to approve the fare increase to save the bus schemes from collapse.
Tinubu said what the bus operators spent on fuel, oil and tyre had gone up above 100% threatening their operations.
“In view of this and with government’s responsibility to avert a collapse of the transport service which currently serves millions of commuters daily, government had to consider request by the operators for an upward review of the bus fares out of necessity. It cost’s a lot of money to change transport system in Nigeria, we must have a lot of money to keep it floating. The increase was because cost prices of components we are using in the buses have increased. Everything on the buses are imported, as naira goes up, the cost of maintaining the buses has gone up too.
“In addition, the management of the operators are planning to bring innovations and progressive ideas to the service, such as planning to start assembling buses in Nigeria, as this will provide jobs for the people. We wash the buses thrice in a week, and clean its inside twice a day.
He said that the current fares charged on some of the schemes had stayed constant for more than six years in the case of some operators. He said that though the government granted the request for fare increase, it would not allow transport users to do so arbitrarily.
According to him, the operators have also been advised to improve their efficiency and effectiveness.
He appealed to commuters to show understanding, as the new fares take effect.