The Lagos State Government has attributed its failure to replace all the Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, buses destroyed during the #EndSARS unrest to the sharp increase in the cost of purchasing new vehicles.
The state Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, gave the explanation on Thursday during a question-and-answer session on Nigeria Info FM, where he addressed concerns over the current state of public transportation in Lagos.
Hamzat said the BRT buses had cost the government about N80m each when they were purchased, but that the price had since climbed to roughly N280m per vehicle.
According to him, the significant rise in acquisition costs had made it difficult for the government to replace the buses destroyed during the 2020 protests.
“During #EndSARS, if you recall, 200 of those buses were burnt. We bought those buses at that time for 80 million per bus. Now, it’s about 280 million per one,” Hamzat said.
He explained that the government had also factored the age of its existing fleet into its transportation planning, with some buses expected to be withdrawn after seven or eight years of operation.
However, the deputy governor said the state had not been able to replace the buses lost during the unrest, a situation he linked to the shortage of BRT vehicles currently being experienced by commuters.
“If we release those 200 buses into the state, you know, it carries because we know we have anticipated that, okay, some of these buses are seven-year-old, eight-year-old, and we must take them out of circulation.
“Unfortunately, you know, we’ve not been able to replace all the 200, and that’s what we are seeing today,” he said.
Hamzat was responding to questions about transportation challenges in the state, particularly complaints from residents over the availability of BRT buses and other public transport options.
However, the figure of 200 buses cited by the deputy governor differs from an earlier account released by the Lagos State Government.
In April 2021, the then Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said 80 BRT buses had been destroyed during the violence that accompanied the #EndSARS protests.
The government’s breakdown at the time showed that 23 large BRT buses were burnt in the Ojodu area, while another 57 medium-sized buses were destroyed at Oyingbo, bringing the reported total to 80.
The destruction occurred during the unrest that followed the October 2020 #EndSARS demonstrations, which initially focused on protests against police brutality and demands for the scrapping of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.
The demonstrations later escalated into violence and attacks on public and private property in several parts of Lagos.
The Oyingbo BRT terminal was among the facilities attacked, with buses parked at the facility set ablaze.
In 2022, a man was arraigned over allegations that he and others were responsible for setting the BRT terminal on fire during the unrest.
Addressing the transportation deficit, Hamzat said the government was encouraging greater participation by private operators.
He explained that private companies could acquire and deploy buses more quickly, while the government could support commuters by subsidising fares.
“But thankfully, a lot of private sector people are also bringing in buses to make sure, we must get it to a stage where private people actually bring in buses and then we subsidise the cost for people because private will be able to manage it better than us,” he said.
The deputy governor argued that government should not necessarily be responsible for directly managing bus operations, saying private operators could respond more efficiently to changing transportation demands.
“You know, government should not be in the business of managing buses and the rest and the rest because it becomes cumbersome before you get approval and all those things. But if it’s private, they are able to do it. They are nimble, they are faster,” Hamzat said.
He added that the state was simultaneously expanding alternative transportation systems, including waterways and rail.
“We are bringing in ferries. Our train is working better. So, by the time we put all this together, then, you know, transportation will be better for everybody in Lagos,” Hamzat said.
