FAAN Says N30,000 Lagos Airport Taxi Fare Was Not Fixed by Authority

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has rejected claims that it imposed or introduced a N30,000 taxi fare for passengers travelling from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

The clarification followed widespread reactions after a travel content creator, Chris Joondeph, also known as Authentic Travelling, posted a video showing a N30,000 fare for a trip from the airport to the Radisson Hotel in Ikeja.

The fare sparked public concern, particularly because alternative transportation platforms were offering the same journey at considerably lower prices.

Checks showed that one e-hailing platform quoted N6,900, while Uber listed N4,200 for UberX and N5,800 for its Priority service.

In a statement issued on Thursday, FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, said the N30,000 rate was not a new fare introduced by the authority.

FAAN explained that the airport taxi rates in question existed before the introduction of its Airport Car Hire Rank Management System (ACHRAMS) and were not substantially different from rates that had previously applied.

The authority said ACHRAMS was introduced to improve the administration and monitoring of authorised airport car-hire services, rather than to determine or impose fares.

According to FAAN, the system has instead made existing airport taxi rates more visible to passengers, giving travellers clearer information about the cost of using authorised airport taxis.

The authority acknowledged that the comparison between airport taxi fares and cheaper e-hailing services had contributed to the controversy.

It noted that many passengers had become accustomed to lower prices offered by platforms such as Uber and Bolt.

Meanwhile, FAAN said Bolt had been cleared to resume operations at airports under its management after the authority resolved the operational issues that had previously affected the company’s services.

FAAN said its efforts to regulate commercial transportation at airports were prompted by problems that had persisted for years, including touting, passenger solicitation, unauthorised pick-ups and unregulated transport operations.

The authority maintained that its regulatory measures were aimed at improving safety, security, accountability and order within airport premises.

FAAN also dismissed any suggestion that it was attempting to restrict competition, stating that it supports healthy competition among transportation providers and has no plans to create a monopoly in airport transportation.

The authority said its goal is to provide a more transparent and properly regulated transport system while ensuring that passengers have access to different legitimate transportation options at Nigerian airports.

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