Wednesday, July 29, 2026 -The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority has announced that full enforcement of its cashless fare payment policy will begin on August 1, warning commuters who pay cash for rides on regulated public transport services that they may face penalties.
The authority said the enforcement is designed to strengthen
accountability, improve transparency and ensure compliance with electronic
payment systems across Lagos’ regulated transport network.
As reported by Daily Post on Wednesday, LAMATA disclosed
this during an X Space discussion with transport stakeholders and industry
leaders titled “Lagos Cashless Transit: What Aug. 1 Enforcement Means to You.”
The agency’s Head of Legal, Idris Akinola, said existing
Lagos State regulations require passengers using regulated public transport
services to pay fares through the approved electronic payment platform, the
Cowry Card.
Akinola explained that both commuters who offer cash
payments and operators who accept them could be held responsible under the law,
adding that unauthorized cash transactions may be treated as offences.
He urged transport operators to ensure their drivers and
conductors comply with the policy, carry out internal checks and cooperate with
LAMATA officials during enforcement exercises.
Akinola warned that offenders convicted under the relevant
laws could face serious penalties, including up to seven years’ imprisonment.
Managing Director of Teejay Motors, Adekunle Tajudeen, said
the company had trained its drivers and boarding officers ahead of the
enforcement, instructing them not to accept cash payments from passengers.
He said some drivers had previously been arrested and jailed
for collecting cash fares, adding that passengers also contribute to the
problem by offering cash instead of using the approved payment system.
Tajudeen said the company had increased its fleet and
recruited additional drivers to prevent disruptions if non-compliant workers
are removed from operations.
Transport and urban mobility expert Adepoju Fawokon said
previous enforcement efforts focused mainly on drivers had not achieved the
desired results, stressing that both parties involved in cash transactions must
be held accountable.
He said the goal of the policy is to reduce revenue leakage
and protect the sustainability of Lagos’ regulated public transport system.
Meanwhile, Managing Director of Touch and Pay Technologies,
Olamide Afolabi, said measures had been introduced to address complaints about
incorrect Cowry Card top-ups.
He said new tools, including the Carry Hub platform, a
mobile application and self-service top-up kiosks at bus and rail terminals,
would help commuters monitor balances, review transactions and fund their cards
more easily.
Afolabi added that a postpaid and single-card payment system
is expected to be expanded before the end of the year, allowing users to make
online top-ups that can be accessed instantly without first transferring funds
to a physical card
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