The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has issued a warning to commuters, emphasising the necessity of making payments for transport services only into authorised bank accounts.
In a statement, Mr. Kolawole Ojelabi, a Consultant in Corporate Communications at LAMATA, stressed the importance of avoiding transfers to personal accounts under any circumstance. He addressed a recent viral video where individuals claimed that an official directed them to make payments for a train ride into a personal bank account due to connectivity issues with Point-of-Sale (POS) machines.
Ojelabi clarified, stating that the viral video did not accurately represent the services provided by the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line System from Marina to Mile 2. He emphasized the proper payment procedures for regulated public transport in Lagos State, indicating that the Cowry Card is the designated payment method.
He explained, “To load a Cowry Card, commuters may either use a POS machine or load money from their personal account to a wallet linked to the card or to a designated collecting account by the service provider, Touch and Pay Ltd.” Each train station is associated with a unique account number to ensure accurate payment tracking.
In case of any irregularities or infractions in the payment system, Ojelabi encouraged commuters to contact LAMATA through email at info@lamata-ng.com or by calling/SMS/WhatsApp at +234-909-952-6282.
