The Lagos State Government has announced that small commercial buses, popularly called korope, will soon be phased out from major highways as the state moves toward a more organized, safer and modernized public transportation system.
The latest announcement came during a stakeholder meeting held ahead of the rollout of the Lekki–Epe Bus Reform Scheme, which officially begins on December 8, 2025.
The meeting brought together officials of the Ministry of Transportation, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), and leaders of informal bus unions to finalize plans for the first phase of the new transport system.
Under the scheme, fully regulated bus services will take over major corridors such as Ajah–CMS (Marina)/Obalende, Ajah–Oshodi, Ajah–Berger, and Ajah–Iyana Ipaja, with expansion into Epe expected in subsequent phases.
While the new phase of the reform begins on the Lekki–Epe axis, officials confirmed that the state intends to extend the cleanup of unregulated commercial vehicles to other parts of Lagos including areas like Amuwo-Odofin, Festac, Mile 2, Alakija and Abule Ado, where korope and other informal buses dominate daily commuting.
Transport stakeholders say the long-term plan is to ensure that all major roads in Lagos including the busy Amuwo–Mile 2 corridors operate only licensed, safer, and more efficient buses once the rollout expands across the state.
The goal, according to the government, is to reduce road accidents, curb extortion and fare manipulation, improve traffic flow, and provide Lagos residents with a more predictable public transit experience.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, LAMATA’s Head of Corporate Communication, Kolawole Ojelabi, quoted the Special Adviser on Transportation, Sola Giwa, who chaired the meeting, as saying that the government is determined to “streamline transit operations and remove unsafe, unregulated vehicles from Lagos highways.”
He noted that the reform is part of a broader effort to reposition Lagos as a fully modern transport-driven city.
Residents in Amuwo-Odofin , especially daily commuters along Festac–Mile 2 and Lagos–Badagry expressway are expected to feel the impact of this policy in later phases, as the state expands regulated bus corridors to the western axis of Lagos.