The Lagos State Government has reaffirmed its restriction of mini buses, popularly known as Korope, along the Lekki–Epe Corridor, insisting that the policy is a central pillar of the state’s Bus Reform Initiative.
The Lagos State Ministry of Transportation made the clarification in a statement issued on Monday following a stakeholders’ meeting convened to address concerns and protests by affected transport operators.
The reform limits operations on the busy corridor to medium and high-capacity buses, while mini buses are confined to inner routes.
The statement, signed by the Director of Public Affairs, Bolanle Ogunlola, said the initiative is anchored on the Lagos Strategic Transportation Master Plan and designed to promote structured, safe and sustainable mass transit.
“The Bus Reform Initiative is a deliberate policy under the Lagos Strategic Transportation Master Plan to ensure structured, sustainable and efficient public transport operations across key corridors,” the ministry stated.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, said the policy prioritises traffic efficiency, commuter safety and improved road management on major arterial routes.
“Instead of having ten smaller buses operating independently on a route, one large-capacity bus can transport the same number of passengers,” Giwa said.
“This translates to fewer vehicles on the road, reduced traffic congestion, lower environmental pollution, and improved economic productivity,” he added.
Giwa noted that transport activities along the Lekki–Epe corridor had been largely unregulated prior to the reform, stressing that government intervention became necessary to ensure safety, accountability and orderliness.
“For years, operations on this corridor were largely unstructured. Government intervention became inevitable to protect commuters, improve safety standards and ensure accountability among operators,” he said.
He also disclosed that transport unions and operators were consulted before the enforcement of the policy and encouraged to formalise their operations through structured registration.
“Transport unions and corridor operators were engaged ahead of enforcement and encouraged to register under the structured framework. To date, ten transport groups have successfully registered and are participating in the pilot phase,” the statement noted.
The ministry urged operators who are yet to comply with the new framework to complete their registration, stressing that inclusivity and stakeholder collaboration remain central to the reform process.
“The initiative is inclusive. Operators who have not registered are urged to do so, as collaboration with stakeholders remains a core component of the reform,” the ministry said.
The government also appealed to residents, traders and commuters along the Lekki–Epe axis to support the reform, describing it as critical to building a safer, more efficient and sustainable transport system.
“The support of residents, traders and commuters is crucial. This reform is essential to achieving a safer, more reliable and efficient transportation system for Lagosians,” the ministry added.
