It has become a popular misconception that all mass transit buses used in Lagos State are also BRT buses. There are different types of mass transit buses used in Lagos State; there are:
- Primero BRT Service
- LBSL Buses
- LAGBUS (Red Buses)
Bus Rapid Transit, referred to as “BRT”, is a mass transit system employing dedicated lanes. The use of the dedicated routes enables the BRT buses to avoid traffic – and by extension, ensure shorter journeys.
The BRT system is considered a lucrative venture for its operators, as return time is shorter because of dedicated lanes.
Both the Primero BRTs and LBSL Buses use the BRT Lane system; LAGBUS were earlier banned from using the BRT corridor by the Lagos State Government.
In Lagos state, all operators in the BRT scheme are regulated by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).
Primero BRT Service
Primero Transport Services Limited is a privately owned bus operating company under the Lagos state BRT scheme.
Primero started its operations on the 12th of November 2015 with 434 Yutong high-capacity buses bought through bank loans. Primero operates some of the Millennium BRT buses under the Lagos state public partnership arrangement.
Primero only operates on TBS-Ikorodu and Abule-Egba-Oshodi corridors.
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The Primero BRT uses Millennium and Yutong buses across Lagos state. The current BRT buses are blue in colour.
Primero is the sole operator of the Ikorodu to TBS corridor, with additional routes to Ikeja, Oshodi and Yaba. They also operate along the Oshodi to Abule-Egba BRT corridor. Primero BRT services run all day, seven days a week.
LBSL Buses
The LBSL buses are a set of high-capacity buses that operate in the Lagos metropolis. The buses are operated by the Lagos Bus Services Limited (LBSL).
The Lagos Bus Services Limited (LBSL) is a company that was set up by the Akinwumi Ambode administration. The company was incorporated on 1 August 2016 as a transport asset acquisition, operations, and advisory services company.
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President Mohammadu Buhari formally inaugurated the LBSL bus operations on 24 April, 2019.
LBSL buses were recently given permission to ply Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) dedicated corridor by the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu.
Some infrastructure was provided for the smooth operations of the LBSL buses. They include bus shelters, lay-bys, bus flags, terminals, and depots at various strategic points along the routes.
Currently, LBSL bus services are deployed using the Brazilian-built Marcopolo buses and Ashok buses.
Note: on some of the LBSL-operated buses, the word “BRT” is emblazoned on their chassis. This does not make them BRT buses. BRT is a mass transit system, not a type of bus.
LAGBUS- Red Buses
These are Red buses owned by private individuals and companies regulated by the state also in conjunction with the NURTW.
LAGBUS started operations on the 17th of February 2007 and was created to assist in alleviating transportation issues in the state.
With over 500 buses and 44 routes, LAGBUS operates a prepaid and on-the-bus ticketing service.
Its vision is to deploy buses in a dedicated right of way with prepaid tickets, select operators and GPS monitoring to create a modern bus transportation system for Lagos.
The Lagos State Government banned LAGBUS from plying the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) corridor.
