The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) reiterated on Sunday that the travel cowry card remains the sole acceptable payment method for all state-owned transport systems.
Mr. Kolawole Ojelabi, the Managing Director of LAMATA, affirmed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
This statement came in response to complaints from commuters regarding some mini shuttle buses insisting on cash payments instead of allowing passengers to tap in with their cowry cards.
Ojelabi emphasized the importance of feedback for the government to identify and address any loopholes in the service provided.
He urged commuters to report instances where mini shuttle bus drivers collect cash instead of accepting cowry card payments. Ojelabi stressed that such actions by drivers are unauthorized and urged passengers to send bus numbers to facilitate appropriate action.
Furthermore, Ojelabi addressed concerns raised by passengers about having to tap in again on another BRT bus due to malfunctioning tap devices.
He encouraged passengers to provide feedback by contacting the authority’s hotline at 09099526282.
Several residents shared their experiences, highlighting instances where mini bus drivers insisted on cash payments despite the availability of cowry card payment options.
These incidents were reported to occur mainly in areas such as Costain, Shitta, Lawanson, and Ikeja under the bridge. Passengers expressed frustration over such practices and emphasized the importance of rectifying faulty tap-in devices to ensure seamless transactions.
