From Mustapha Adamu, Kano
The Federal Government has said that Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses deployed under its Presidential Initiative on CNG and Electric Vehicles (Pi-CNG & EV) have helped reduce transportation fares by between 15 and 50 per cent on participating routes across Nigeria.
The Chief Operating Officer of Pi-CNG & EV, Tosin Coker, disclosed this on Thursday at the Decade of Gas and Pi-CNG & EV Media Parley held in Kano.
Coker said the initiative had deployed 670 CNG buses nationwide as part of efforts to reduce transportation costs and promote the use of cleaner energy in the public transport sector.
According to him, 285 of the buses are operating commercially across 13 states, while 302 have been allocated to transport unions, students and government agencies.
He explained that the initiative’s vehicle conversion programme was also helping commercial drivers and transport operators reduce fuel expenses, allowing them to extend the benefits of cheaper energy to commuters.
Coker added that hundreds of additional CNG buses and tricycles were on order to expand access to affordable and environmentally friendly transportation across the country.
He said the fare reductions were being recorded under the National Affordable CNG Transition Programme (NACTP), which aims to make public transportation more affordable through the adoption of CNG-powered vehicles.
The initiative is also planning to establish 127 additional CNG refuelling stations across 31 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to improve access to the alternative fuel and accelerate its adoption nationwide.
The media parley brought together about 27 journalists from television, radio, print and digital media organisations to deepen their understanding of Nigeria’s gas development agenda, promote accurate reporting and increase public awareness of opportunities in the gas sector.
The Kano engagement was the initiative’s first formal interaction with journalists in the state, following similar sessions in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.
The organisers said the engagements were part of efforts to strengthen collaboration with the media and improve public understanding of the government’s gas development and CNG adoption programmes.
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