Travellers Stranded, As FAAN’s Cashless Policy Triggers Gridlock, Chaos At Lagos Airport

Chaos engulfed the access roads to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, on Monday as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) commenced full enforcement of its cashless toll payment system.

The enforcement on Monday triggered massive traffic gridlock and leaving passengers scrambling to catch flights.

Motorists without the newly introduced “Go Cashless” cards were denied entry at the toll gates and directed to designated registration points around the airport. The move resulted in long queues and severe congestion stretching from the 7 & 8 bus stops along Airport Road to the toll plaza.

Passengers bore the brunt of the disruption, with several seen abandoning their vehicles and trekking with luggage to avoid missing scheduled flights. Others resorted to commercial motorcycles despite restrictions around the airport corridor.

Eyewitnesses said motorcycle operators exploited the situation by inflating fares by as much as 200 per cent, cashing in on desperate travellers seeking faster alternatives.

Some vehicles heading to both the international and domestic terminals reportedly spent hours attempting to clear the toll gates.

According to a motorist caught in the gridlock, Jelil Azeez, he said his passengers dropped and used bike in other not to miss his flight.

“I have been in this traffic since 12 noon and my passenger had a 2 p.m. flight. He had to come down from my vehicle with his luggage and find another means to the local airport.”

“This is because I have been waiting to get registered so I can get the card but haven’t been able to due to the long queue,” he added.

An arriving passenger also described the situation as chaotic, alleging that cash was still being collected for card issuance despite the cashless directive.

Although FAAN had previously announced that all cash collections would cease from February 28 ahead of the March 1 rollout, many motorists claimed they were unaware the policy would be strictly enforced at the gates.

In a statement issued Monday, FAAN acknowledged the disruption and apologised for the inconvenience.

The Authority attributed the congestion to the last-minute rush by motorists who chose to register for their Go Cashless cards at the toll gates despite prior public notices.

To ease the situation, FAAN said it had deployed additional personnel, expanded card registration points, and strengthened traffic coordination at the airport access roads.

As of late Monday, traffic remained heavy around the airport axis, with stranded passengers urging authorities to improve communication and streamline the registration process to prevent a repeat of the chaos.