By Faith Chondol
Residents of Plateau State have called on the state government to increase the number of Metro buses, saying the shortage has led to long waiting times, overcrowding and limited access to the subsidised transport service.
The residents made the call during separate interviews with The Nigeria Times in Jos on Monday, July 20th, 2026, while assessing the impact of the government-backed Metro Bus Scheme.
They acknowledged that the initiative had significantly reduced transportation costs for commuters but said the growing demand for the service had exposed the need for more buses and expanded route coverage across the state.
A trader at Terminus Market, Mary John, said she depended on the Metro buses for her daily commute because the fares were more affordable than those charged by commercial transport operators.
“The buses have really helped us because the fares are cheaper, but the problem is that they are not enough. Sometimes I wait for a long time before a bus comes, especially in the morning when many people are going to work or the market,” she said.
John appealed to the Plateau State Government to deploy additional buses to reduce waiting time and improve access for commuters.
Similarly, a civil servant, Samuel Davou, described the Metro Bus Scheme as a timely intervention but said overcrowding had become a major challenge during peak hours.
“Most times, the buses are already full before they get to some bus stops. Some passengers are left behind to wait for another bus, and that can make people late for work,” he said.
He urged the government to increase the fleet and introduce more routes to meet the growing transportation needs of residents.
Also speaking, a university student, Esther Pam, said the Metro buses had helped students cut transportation expenses but noted that many parts of Jos and its environs were yet to benefit from the service.
“There are still many places the metro buses do not reach. When that happens, we have no choice but to use commercial vehicles, which are more expensive. More buses and more routes will make the service better for everyone,” she said.
The residents maintained that although the Metro Bus Scheme had eased the burden of rising transportation costs, the shortage of buses, overcrowding, long queues and limited route coverage were undermining its effectiveness.
They urged the Plateau State Government to expand the Metro bus fleet and extend operations to underserved communities to ensure more residents benefit from the public transport programme.
Faith Chondol is an IT student Journalist from Plateau State University,Bokkos.
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