Lagos Community Gets Mobility Boost as Gbajabiamila Champions Free Rides for Students and Vulnerable Groups

By Faridat Salifu

In a community-first move aimed at reducing transportation barriers for residents, especially schoolchildren and the vulnerable, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Saturday launched a subsidized transport initiative, GbajaRide, in Lagos’ Surulere district.

Positioned as a lifeline for those most affected by rising living costs, GbajaRide will offer free daily transport for secondary school students and discounted rides for elderly citizens, pregnant women, and low-income residents navigating daily life in the bustling city.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, Gbajabiamila said the scheme was designed to ensure that no student misses school or opportunity because of lack of transport fare, and that older citizens no longer face the stress of unreliable or unaffordable transit.

“In cities like ours, transportation is not just about movement. It’s about access—access to education, to healthcare, to jobs, and to dignity,” he said. “This initiative removes one more obstacle that keeps too many of our people from living to their full potential.”

The programme is a collaboration with the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), which will manage the fleet of buses. While students will benefit from completely free rides during school hours, the same buses will serve broader community needs during off-peak times at a 25% subsidy on existing fares.

The idea, according to Gbajabiamila, is not only to support youth education, but also to extend relief to working-class commuters and families struggling under the weight of inflation and transportation costs.

“This is a social impact project, not just a transport scheme,” he added. “And as such, our priority will always be those who need help the most—our seniors, people living with disabilities, pregnant women, and mothers with small children.”

The launch was attended by dignitaries including Kayode Opeifa, Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, who praised the initiative’s forward-thinking design. He highlighted its potential to create jobs for youth and to serve as a template for similar interventions in other states.

“This isn’t just about getting people from point A to B,” Opeifa said. “It’s about ensuring that no child is denied education because of poverty, and that no one is left behind.”

Gbajabiamila called for shared ownership of the initiative’s success, urging residents and transport workers alike to care for the buses and see them as community assets.

“This project will only thrive if we treat it like our own. I believe in the people of Surulere to set an example for the rest of Lagos—and the nation.”

The GbajaRide scheme is part of broader efforts tied to the federal government’s Renewed Hope agenda, focused on inclusive development, economic empowerment, and social welfare.