FAAN CASHLESS POLICY: Travellers, drivers groan as gridlock continues

**As demands for suspension of policy intensify

By Dickson Omobola & Matilda Ikediobi

Four days after the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, introduced cashless payment, tension is rising over its rollout, with mounting complaints from motorists, travellers and other airport users over prolonged gridlock and payment delays at the Murtala Muhammed Airport.

On Monday, Vanguard observed that vehicles snarled from the pedestrian bridge at NAHCO Bus Stop to the Murtala Muhammed Airport tollgate.

Motorists attempting to exit the airport were also forced to endure long waits as electronic payment points struggled to process transactions swiftly.

By Wednesday, while the situation had improved a bit, traffic stretched from NIGAV Centre to the tollgate. Also, vehicles exiting the airport were backed up from Concord Bus Stop to the toll point.

Drivers count losses

Commercial vehicle drivers, who spoke to Vanguard, said the traffic has dealt a direct blow to their livelihood and called for a temporary suspension of the policy until more people were able to obtain the required payment card.

Speaking to Vanguard, a driver, Michael, said: It has affected work seriously. On Monday, I spent one hour in traffic. We had to start passing through Beesam and Mafoluku to avoid the queue. Because of the longer route, fuel consumption has doubled. Instead of spending N5,000 on fuel, we now spend N10,000. And this is when fuel has increased from N837 to N937.”

Another operator, who declined to be named, criticised the rollout sequence, saying: “We pay annually. Private vehicles pay daily. However, nobody expected that the introduction of the cashless policy would cause traffic that would get to this level. They should have distributed the payment cards first, that would have reduced this gridlock. The policy should be suspended until everyone gets the card. We can’t increase transport fare because passengers won’t accept it.”

Another commercial driver, Bosun, said: “On Monday, there was serious traffic. It extended to 7 and 8 Bus Stop. I had to leave work around 12 p.m. because the traffic was too much and we couldn’t keep burning fuel. When we drop passengers, we are unable to pick up others because people prefer to walk rather than stay in the traffic.

“On Tuesday, I spent N19,000 on fuel. The best thing is for them to suspend it until everyone can get the card. There are not enough PoS machines. Sometimes there is no network, transactions are declined and everyone has to stand still.”

Passengers lament

Passengers also decried the delays, saying they were forced to make unusual arrangements to avoid missing their flights.

Speaking to Vanguard, Wale, who was travelling to Abuja, said he arrived hours earlier than necessary to beat the traffic.

He said: “I had to plead with my younger brother to bring me to the airport today (Wednesday) at least four hours before time so I would not miss my flight. Must we suffer whenever new policies are introduced? This should be suspended at least for now.”

Another passenger, who gave his name simply as Sikiru, said he had to travel light and hire a commercial motorcycle to beat the congestion.

He said: “I carried only small luggage and arranged with a bike man to drop me at the domestic terminal. If I had not planned that, I might not have arrived on time. You can see how long the traffic is. Something urgent needs to be done.”

FAAN reacts

Meanwhile, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of FAAN, Mr Henry Agbebire, appealed for patience, saying the original plan was to phase in the policy gradually.

He told Vanguard that “the plan was to phase in the implementation, but there was a circular from the Office of the Accountant General essentially banning cash transactions. We had no choice but to go ahead and remove the cash payment option. Of course, it will be painful in the beginning, but in time, it will ease.”

In a related development, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, in a post shared on his X handle, Wednesday, said the system would be improved over time through the development of new ideas.

He, however, added that by the end of the week, a review would be carried out to assess the first one week of the new policy.

He said: “By the end of this week, I, along with my team, will be reviewing the first one week of our going cashless at all our payment points at airports across the country in order to eliminate corruption and optimise revenue.

“We will surely improve the efficiency of the new system as time progresses by developing new ideas, but this government is determined to end the practice of collecting cash at our gates. Kindly bear with us, please.”

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