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The BRT Lite system was supposed to make Transportation in Lagos easier and it is operated by Primero Transport Services and 4 other operators in conjunction with Lagos State Government. This means that not all BRT buses belong to the state government, some belong to companies with a public-private partnership with the government. The Blue BRT owned by Primero Transport service is the most popular because they have the most number of buses (about 250 buses). The Lagos BRT is regulated by Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA). Under the BRT Lite system, the buses have partially segregated lanes, simpler bus shelters, are less technology-intensive and easier to implement, though not as efficient as the BRT full system. Though it is slowly moving towards the full system, where the lanes are exclusively dedicated to BRT buses, preboarding fares are collected and more technology is being integrated into the payment system. BRT goes from Mile 12 to Ikorodu, with corridors extended along Oshodi to Abule-Egba route covering a distance of well over 35.5 km. The major BRT bus stops include Onipan, Fadeyi, Ikorodu Garage, Kosofe, Stadium (Surulere), Tafawa Balewa Square (Lagos Island), Ojota, Palmgrove, Barracks (Yaba), Anthony & Maryland (along Ikorodu Road), Marina and CMS (Marina area), Idi-Iroko and Ketu.

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BRT fares started with a cash system of payments with paper tickets issued for each bus ride. But over the years, it has evolved into a cashless payment system. The smart card payment system was introduced in July 2013. Now payments can be made with an app you can download for free to your phone or a card you purchase for N200 or N400 at the Bus shelters. Once you buy the cards, you then recharge as you go. You can fund your card through USSD, ATM, or any other accessible means. If you want the fund transferred to the card on your behalf, you can meet with any customer care rep at the terminals, or use the self-service at Oshodi/Ikeja. Note: The recently purchased Blue BRT buses for the Ikorodu – TBS route that uses only the N400 card. Initially, they used ‘Lagos Connect’ Farepay cards which you tap in and tap out when boarding the bus. It charged based on the distance covered while flat fees were tied to paper tickets. But now, for the Blue BRT Primero buses, you can pay with either a Cowry card or a Cowry app. So if you have the old Lagos Connect card, you may need to swap it out with the Cowry cards at the bus shelters.

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