Ekiti Launches CNG Buses, Targets Cheaper Interstate Transport
The Ekiti State Government has commenced the deployment of 15 Compressed Natural Gas buses as part of efforts to reduce transportation fares by 50 per cent and ease the cost of movement for residents. Governor Biodun Oyebanji announced the initiative on Thursday during the official flag-off of the buses at the premises of the Ekiti State Transportation Agency in Ado-Ekiti. The rollout coincided with Nigeria’s Independence Day and the 30th anniversary of Ekiti State and is part of measures aimed at providing more affordable public transportation in line with the Federal Government’s directive for states to ensure that savings from cheaper energy translate into lower fares. The Federal Government has been urging states to accelerate the deployment of CNG and electric mass transit systems to achieve measurable reductions in transportation costs. Governor Oyebanji, who was accompanied by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, said the 15 buses donated to Ekiti by the Federal Government represented the pilot phase of the programme. He said the fleet would be expanded to enable more residents to benefit from the initiative, while urging transport unions to ensure that the savings from the buses were passed directly to commuters.
Oyebanji said reducing transportation costs was important to easing the economic pressure on residents and appealed to the unions to allow the benefits of the CNG buses to reflect in fares. He also expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Federal Government’s intervention, saying the support would help the state translate its development plans into programmes with direct benefits for citizens. The Director-General of the Ekiti State Transportation Agency, Tajudeen Akingbolu, said routes had already been mapped out for the buses, which will operate between Ado-Ekiti and Lagos, Ibadan, Onitsha and Abuja. He said the initiative would provide residents with more affordable and reliable interstate transportation while reducing the impact of high fares on commuters. The state government said it would continue to explore measures to reduce transportation costs and improve access to affordable public transportation across Ekiti State.
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