The Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (P-CNGI), in collaboration with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), has initiated the enforcement of a 40 percent reduction in public transport fares for CNG converted commercial vehicles.
The P-CNGI announced this in Abuja on Friday, during the formal public declaration of the 40 percent fare reduction on routes operated by NURTW CNG-converted vehicles.
During the event held at the Area 1 Park, Garki, Mr. Michael Oluwagbemi, Chief Executive Officer and Programme Director of P-CNGI, stated that the objective was to fulfill President Bola Tinubu’s directive regarding affordable transportation for Nigerians.
Oluwagbemi, who was represented by Mr. David Idakwo, Regional CNG Expansion Coordinator, North, noted that the event aimed to highlight the tangible benefits of CNG, reaffirm the commitment to cleaner and more affordable transportation, and demonstrate the practical application of CNG adoption.
“The goal is to significantly reduce transportation costs for the general public.
“We have collaborated closely with the NURTW, converting many of their vehicles, and based on our agreement, they are to decrease fares for the public. This initiative aims to alleviate the impact of the fare subsidy removal on Nigerians and lessen the financial burden.
“Thus, in partnership with the leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, we are here to commence the enforcement of the fare reduction,” he remarked.
He indicated that following discussions with the NURTW, they acquired and jointly assessed the transport fares charged from Area 1 to various destinations when operating on petrol and achieved a 40 percent fare reduction.
“The fare from Area 1 to Gwagwalada when operating on fuel was N1,500; it has now been reduced to N900. The fare from Area 1 to Bwari/Dutse is also reduced from N1,500 to N900.
“Area 1 to Kuje is now reduced from N1,200 to N720; Area 1 to Galadimawa is lowered from N500 to N300; Area 1 to Mpape decreased from N1,000 to N600; while Area 1 to Zuba has also decreased from N1,500 to N900.
“Area 1 to Lugbe is reduced from N700 to N420; Area 1 to Jabi has been lowered from N700 to N420; Area 1 to Wuse is now reduced from N400 to N240; and Area 1 to Nyanya has diminished from N700 to N420.
“Similarly, he noted that Area 1 to Kabusa reduced from N800 to N480, while Area 1 to Apo has decreased from N500 to N300.
“At present, these are the fare reductions we have achieved at Area 1 Park. The reduction project will progress. More vehicles have been converted and we will expand to other parks within Abuja and eventually nationwide,” he stated.
Regarding how passengers can identify the converted vehicles, he said all converted vehicles will display P-CNGI stickers for easy identification by passengers.
The P-CNGI chief stated that the NURTW possessed thousands of registered commercial vehicles and that more than 50 percent of these had been converted in partnership with the union’s leadership.
“Even right here, we still have our members documenting those vehicles that have yet to be converted, and the conversion process will proceed. “
He indicated that the Federal Government is already collaborating with the private sector on the necessity to invest in gas infrastructure to ensure the availability of CNG at various fuel stations, aiming to alleviate the troubling queues observed at many refuelling stations.
To ensure adherence to this new procedure, he mentioned the establishment of a task force comprising several union members and P-CNG officials, while passengers were encouraged to report any non-compliance via P-CNGI customer service numbers (07000000264) or by sending a message to info@pci.gov. ng.
Mr. Ibrahim Jubril, Secretary of the Garki Branch, NURTW, commended the president for his efforts to alleviate the hardships faced by Nigerians by reducing transportation costs through the P-CNGI.
“When the program was launched, the NURTW and other affiliated associations were invited and given the opportunity; as it stands today, many of our members’ vehicles have been converted, and the conversion process is ongoing for numerous others.
“When we observed that a significant number of vehicles were being converted, we established a task force to monitor those that have already undergone conversion to help lower their prices.
“Part of our strategy is that converted vehicles must display a price tag, allowing passengers traveling to Gwagwalada, Nyanya, to identify that the vehicle is converted.
“We are committed to safeguarding the interests of our passengers and to ensuring they benefit from this program,” he stated.
