The Lagos State Government has approved a 13% increase in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) fares, and according to reports, the revised fares will take effect on Monday, March 2, 2026.
Officials said the decision followed repeated requests from operators who argued that the cost of keeping buses on the road has risen sharply. According to the government, the adjustment is intended to cushion the economic pressures facing public transport operations and prevent service disruption. The state also described the revision as part of an existing “annual fare review mechanism”, noting that periodic reviews are already built into the BRI framework.
BRI operators cited several key factors driving the fare increase, including higher maintenance and spare parts costs, rising staff salaries linked to the new national minimum wage, and ongoing inflationary pressures, even as headline inflation eased to 15.15% in December 2025, according to National Bureau of Statistics data reported by local media.
For commuters, the adjustment means trips on BRI routes will become more expensive from March 2. Under the new structure, a fare of N550 would increase by roughly 13 percent, equivalent to about N620. The hike is the latest in a series of transport fare reviews by Lagos under the BRI scheme. In February 2025, the government approved an 18 percent hike in BRT fares. Combined with this new raise, it represents an overall 33 percent spike in BRT fares since the start of 2025.
