Lagos State Government may be eyeing N438 million in the first year of operation of the Red Rail line, which began operation on 15 October.
The Red Line is scheduled to run two shuttles in the morning and evening peak periods and this is expected to be expanded, as passenger traffic gets to its peak.
The price schedule by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) had scheduled the fare list into Zone 1 and 2, with Zone 1, which was from Oyingbo to Agbado or vice versa being N1,500, while Zone 2 ranges from between N500 and N1000 and this ranges from between Agbado -Iju-Agege N500, Agege to Ikeja N500. Also listed as N500 are Ikeja-Oshodi; Oshodi-Mushin, Mushin – Yaba and Yaba-Oyingbo.
Also listed on Zone 1 are Agege-Oyingbo, Agege-Yaba and Agege-Mushin, which are N1000.
Although passenger traffic is yet to gain much traction since commercial operation began seven days ago, the 800 full capacity mass transit train, when fully subscribed, is expected to rake in N438 million, or somewhere not lower than N219 million (given that average trip is N500), within its first year of operation.
This is a conservative estimate/projection compared to LAMATA’s projection, which has expected it to carry 500,000 from its first day of operation, raking in about N750,000,000 daily and N273 billion in the first year.
Already many Lagosians have picked holes in the high-end price lists, which they argued were unrealistic.
The Red Line is expected to significantly cut travel time and create a high level of convenience for passengers, who, for decades, have had to contend with privately run rickety commercial buses.
The Red Line is the second of such light rail systems funded, executed and fully owned by the Lagos State Government, to begin operations in Nigeria’s most populous city.
The first was the Blue Line Rail, inaugurated by former President Muhammadu Buhari in January last year. It began running on the Lagos-Badagry corridor from Marina to Mile 2 on 4 September 2023. The Blue Line in its first year of operation carried over one million passengers.
The Blue line also started with two peak hours: 6:30 am to 10 am, and 4:30 pm to 9 pm, with 90-second stops at each station.
The train service was updated to run 54 trips from 16 October 2023, and increased to 76 trips, from 5:30 am to 11 pm, operating with 90-second stops at each station.
On the Red Line, the train is currently expected to stop at each of the eight stations for three minutes and it takes a minimum of seven minutes to move from one station to the other on the corridor.
When its operations are eventually increased, it is expected that there will be more frequency on the Red Line Train taking people from Agbado to Oyingbo.
Passengers are expected to make payment with a Cowry Card to board the light train.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who launched the Red Line commercial operations, warned residents against vandalism.
Some Lagosians have criticised the government, accusing it of being in a hurry to recoup its investments, a development which may impede greater inclusion.
“Agege to Oshodi by bus is N500. The roads are free. Why should I spend N1,000 when I can get to Oshodi for half the fare you are charging? I will suggest you reduce the fare to N500”, Gbenga Ogunbewon, a Lagosian, said.
