Sanwo-Olu announces 50% reduction in transport fares utilising cowry cards in Lagos

Governor of Lagos state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has announced a 50% reduction in transportation fare using cowry cards.

The governor also said distribution of food items to vulnerable residents will commence from Thursday, February 8, 2023.

Addressing journalists, the governor said “the decision is to cushion the effect of what residents are currently facing.

“Effective Thursday, February 8, on all Lagos run bus systems, BRT, Lagrides, Boats, LASMA and others should carry passengers at 50% of the current fares.

“This will continue to happen using the cowry card. We also want to make the cards available to all willing citizens.

Governor Sanwo-Olu said currently, there are over 3 million cowry cards in circulation but the government will make more available.

He added that for the next one week, on all of the passenger routes within all of the buses, ferries, taxes , passengers will enjoy a 50% discount effective Thursday morning.

Babajide Sanwo-Olu said vulnerable spots around the city will be identified for distribution of food items to the vulnerable people to cushion the effect occasioned by naira and fuel scarcity on citizens.

He also thanked security operatives in the state in maintaining peace especially as there had been protests in states like Ibadan, Benin and Ondo.

Some residents in the Ore area of Ondo State, on Tuesday, staged a peaceful protest along the Ore-Benin Expressway against the scarcity of naira notes and fuel ravaging the nation.

Travellers plying the popular expressway were left stranded along the route as the protest caused gridlock for hours.

Speaking during the demonstration, one of the protesters, said the recent hardship ravaging the country is quite alarming.

The persistent protests across the country have prompted some police commands such as Lagos, and Ondo to issue warning to residents to desist from any form of violence.

The Central Bank of Nigeria December last year redesigned all major naira notes and the affected denominations are N100, N200, N500, and N1000.

The Supreme Court temporarily halted the move by the Federal Government through the Central Bank of Nigeria to ban the use of the old naira notes from 10th of February, 2023.

This was occasioned by the suit filed by the Governors of Kaduna, Zamfara and Kogi state seeking to stop the full implementation of the Naira redesigning policy of the Federal Government.

The court has slated 15th of February for the hearing of the substantive suit.