The Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, Abimbola Akinajo, has urged passengers to report any reckless behavior by drivers of state-owned buses.
According The PUNCH, during an event at Abiola Crescent in Ikeja, Lagos, commemorating the late Chief MKO Abiola, the winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, Akinajo emphasized LAMATA’s zero tolerance for driver misconduct.
She disclosed that two drivers had been jailed for defrauding passengers and highlighted that cash payments for bus fares had been eliminated, with passengers required to use payment cards exclusively.
Akinajo stated, “When you see any of our buses and you have any problem with them please take note of the number. Not necessarily the plate number but there is a number on the bus. If you tell me the number of that bus, I can tell you who was driving at a point. If you tell me the number of that bus and what time, I can tell you where that bus was supposed to be and who was driving it. We have dealt with a number of our bus drivers. If a driver is misbehaving on the road, please send us a message, there are numbers on LAMATA website.”
She further warned passengers against paying cash to BRT drivers, reinforcing the mandatory use of cards to avoid overcharging and other fraudulent practices.
“We have a card system. Also note that on our buses, you are not supposed to pay cash. All of us should have that card so that drivers will not tell you there is no change, and ask you to drop or charge you more than expected. We have two drivers in Kirikiri today for defrauding our people. Lagos is not taking it lightly with them. If you report, they will be dealt with,” she added.
Additionally, in March, a woman named Kubura Oluyemo gave birth to a baby girl named Dayan on a BRT bus traveling from Ikorodu to TBS. This incident was confirmed by LAMATA officials during a visit to Oluyemo.
