LAMATA to Prosecute Commuters Who Pay Cash on Regulated Buses Starting August 1

Lagos commuters who pay cash fares on state-regulated buses will face arrest and prosecution from August 1, 2026, as the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority extends its cashless enforcement drive beyond operators to passengers.

The move, announced Monday by LAMATA spokesperson Kolawole Ojelabi, marks a significant escalation of a policy that previously targeted only drivers and ground staff. The authority now considers cash fare collection an economic crime against the state, arguing it bleeds operators of revenue, compromises service quality and weakens the entire public transport system.

“Drivers and ground staff caught collecting cash have been arrested, prosecuted and, in some cases, jailed,” the statement noted. “From August 1, that enforcement will cover commuters who knowingly offer cash for journeys.”

LAMATA has urged passengers to use only approved electronic payment channels. The Cowry Card remains the sole fare medium for regulated bus services and can be purchased at designated bus stops and at Blue Line and Red Line train stations. The authority also asked commuters to report any crew demanding cash through its official email and phone lines.

Behind the crackdown is a simple reality: cash fares are draining the system. Regulated bus operators have repeatedly complained that revenue leakages make it nearly impossible to maintain fleets, buy spare parts or pay salaries on time.

“Protecting fare revenues is the difference between buses returning to service or staying grounded,” the authority said, framing compliance as a shared responsibility between operators and commuters.

The push comes months after the Lagos State Government approved a 13 percent fare increase for Bus Rapid Transit and Bus Reform Initiative services, effective 2 March 2026. That adjustment followed operator appeals tied to rising maintenance costs, spare parts, staff wages and investments in cleaner buses. The state has reviewed fares several times in recent years, an 18 percent hike in February 2025, temporary 50 percent discounts after the fuel subsidy removal between August and November 2023, and a 25 percent discount that ran with a short break until 3 June 2024.

Despite the cashless policy, cash transactions remain common along several regulated routes. On the Ikeja Bus Terminal–Ikorodu corridor, Transportation Agenda has repeatedly observed buses pulling over shortly after leaving the terminal to pick up extra passengers who pay about ₦500 in cash, well below the official ₦680 Cowry Card fare. Many of those passengers end up standing, causing overcrowding during peak hours.

Similar patterns play out in reverse. BRT buses returning to their yards have been seen loading passengers for cash along the Ikorodu-Maya stretch, charging around ₦400 instead of the roughly ₦800 that conventional commercial buses demand. These field observations mirror LAMATA’s core concern: revenue slipping outside the approved electronic collection system, weakening the very operators the policy is designed to protect.

LAMATA said the success of Lagos’ regulated transport network ultimately depends on both sides of the fare transaction refusing to deal in cash. From 1 August, commuters who ignore that call risk more than just a bumpy ride.