Oyo receives 20 CNG-powered buses to boost sustainable transport
Oyo state government has received 20 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered buses from the federal government, delivered on September 2, 2024.
The chairman and Sole Administrator of Pacesetter Transport Service (PTS), Hon. Ibrahim Salami (Dikko), accepted the buses during a brief ceremony at the PTS office in Ibadan.
Speaking at the event, Michael Oluwagbemi, CEO and Programme Director of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (P-CNGi), highlighted that the initiative, spearheaded by President Bola Tinubu, aims to mitigate the impact of fuel subsidy removal while promoting safer, cleaner, and more reliable transportation.
The 20 buses, which represent a sustainable partnership with PTS, will be deployed to parks and garages to support commercial mass transit services.
The initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s broader CNG programme, which launched its first phase on September 15, 2024, offering free conversions of petrol-powered vehicles to CNG in Ibadan.
Certified technicians are installing CNG kits to enable vehicles to run on natural gas, reducing fuel costs for drivers and contributing to a cleaner environment.
Transporters in the state have welcomed the initiative, describing it as beneficial for productivity and sustainability in the transport business.
The first vice chairman of the Park Management System (PMS) in Oyo State, Alhaji Ademola Adeoye, praised the program but noted challenges, including the limited number of conversion centres across the state.
He revealed that while 70 vehicles have been successfully converted, some drivers are still seeking funds to replace old buses before switching to CNG.
Adeoye called on the government to establish more conversion centres to meet growing demand.
This partnership is expected to significantly enhance the state’s public transport sector, ensuring cost-effective and eco-friendly solutions for commuters and transport operators alike.
He said, “We used to spend N58,000 to and fro for Lagos, but the cost is now N4,900 since we have converted to CNG. Those at the conversion centres didn’t get it right at the initial stage but they now understand it very well, our vehicles that used to stay a week when we wanted to do the conversion now use between two to three days instead.
“Over 70 of our commercial vehicles have been converted as of Friday. There is no issue after converting to CNG because the vehicle is moving the same as when it was using petrol before.
“There are not enough conversion centres in the state, only three conversion centres were recommended by the federal government in the state.”
Additionally, a private car owner who also converted to the CNG, Dr. Sowole Jayieola lamented the cost of conversion to CNG saying it is still very high.
“As good and economical as the CNG is, when compared with petrol, the cost of converting to CNG is still high. We can only urge the government to reduce the cost of CNG conversion for more Nigerians to embrace it.
“I converted my car a few months ago, it is the best way to go, I used to spend between N200,000 to N250,000 monthly on petrol, but now that I’ve converted to CNG, I now spend between N25,000 to N26,000 monthly.”
Amidst the various commendations trailing the use of CNG, the Oyo state leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress said it was yet to take delivery of the CNG-powered buses meant for the union by the federal government.
Speaking, Oyo NLC Chairman, Comrade Kayode Martins said he was in talks with the National leadership of the workers union on when to take delivery, assuring however that he has confirmed authoritatively that ten buses meant for the region will be delivered to the state and it would be handed over to the governor for onward transmission to other benefiting states.
He lauded the initiative saying workers will need more of such vehicles for its cost effectiveness and environmental friendliness.
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