FAAN Cashless Toll Rollout Triggers Gridlock at Lagos Airport Access Road

Hundreds of motorists and air passengers were caught in heavy traffic on Sunday after the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) began strict enforcement of a cashless toll system at the Murtala Muhammed Airport access gate in Lagos.

The policy change slowed movement into the airport corridor, with long queues building around the tollgate that serves both domestic and international terminals. Travellers reported major delays as vehicles waited for payment approvals and card processing before being allowed through.

FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, said the authority introduced the measure to plug revenue leakages and improve accountability in toll collection. He said the move also supports the Federal Government’s wider cashless policy direction.

On the ground, however, many users described the first day of full enforcement as chaotic. Some passengers left their vehicles and switched to motorcycles to avoid missing flights. Commercial riders then increased fares sharply, with some commuters reporting increases of up to 200 per cent.

Drivers said trips that usually take less than a minute at the toll point stretched to nearly 20 minutes in several instances. Witnesses also reported arguments between toll officials and motorists over failed electronic transfers and delayed confirmation of payments.

Adebayo Awojobi, one of the affected motorists, said he remained in traffic for almost an hour and worried that weekday pressure could produce an even worse situation if adjustments are not made quickly. He also said officials appeared overwhelmed by the volume of vehicles arriving at the same time.

Agbebire rejected claims that users were not informed ahead of implementation. He said FAAN had provided access cards and maintained that many road users waited until the rollout period before trying to comply.

He added that the card issuance itself is free, while users fund the card balance for toll use. “The card itself is issued free of charge, but once it is loaded with N2,000 or N1,000, a maintenance fee of N500 is deducted,” Agbebire said.

The disruption has renewed pressure on FAAN to strengthen communication, improve payment reliability, and increase traffic marshals around the airport corridor so that aviation passengers can reach terminals without avoidable delays during peak movement periods.