HURRAY! As Commuters Start To Pay As Low As N20 In BRT Electronic Ticketing

Lagos State Government through the state Metropolitan Area Transport
Authority, LAMATA, regulator of the Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, will from
tomorro commence the use of e-ticketing payment as part of ongoing
re-structuring of BRT’s operations and management aimed at enhancing effectiveness.

Disclosing this at the weekend, Managing Director, LAMATA, Dr. Dayo
Mobereola, said the measure was part of a holistic plan at returning the BRT
operations and experience to its once efficient and effective state when it was first launched in 2008.
Mobereola said the Lagos State Government was not unaware of the challenges that commuters using the current BRT system were experiencing, explaining that steps were currently being taken to ensure the restoration of efficient and effective service delivery on the system and increase its capacity.
According to him, the e-ticketing payment was a solution through a payment card named ‘Lagos Connect,’ and would offer commuters several options, saying, “with the e-payment system,Lagos Connect, commuters in Lagos will pay as low as N20 per trip instead of N70. They would not need to struggle for change or lose their money, and the system is safe and convenient.

A volunteer using the smart card for the e-ticketing on the validator at the entrance

A volunteer using the smart card for the e-ticketing on the validator at the entrance

Addressing the stakeholders which included commuters, dealers, management of the sponsoring organisations – Skye Bank, Eco Bank; staff and management of E-Purse, operators of BRT and Bus Franchise Scheme (BFS) and the media, Dr. Mobereola explained that the e-ticketing platform was scalable disclosing that it would be extended to rail services when the rail project is completed.
Deputy Director of Public Transport/Bus Services, LAMATA, Dr. Desmond Amiegbebhor, while giving an overview of the e-ticketing pilot phase/implementation plans said the provision and implementation of an e-ticketing system is the suggested solution to the challenges associated with the present paper/manual ticketing system.
Explaining the concept of e-ticketing, Amiegbebhor said the system is a global fare payment technology embraced by all significant transport organisation and bus operating company in the developed countries of the world including BRT implementing nations such as Transmilenio in Bogota, Columbia; Curitiba in Brazil; and Ahmadabad in India. He said the application of the e-ticketing system has been proven to be a success in these countries.