The National Union of Road Transport Workers stated that the Federal Government has not kept its pledge to assist carriers in converting their buses to compressed natural gas to lessen the impact of the elimination of the petrol subsidy on May 29, 2023, according to The Punch.
NURTW spokesperson, Segun Falade said “It was going to be in phases. 1,000 buses was supposed to be available first. Then we made the outcry that the number of CNG buses was too small for the country. We advocated for 10,000 buses.
“So, instead of waiting for the conversion process to be completed, we ordered 5,000 buses. As we speak now, there are 5,000 buses available on the ground to be shared. But most of them are still being kept at the conversion facilities.”
In his inaugural speech as Nigeria’s 16th president in Abuja, President Bola Tinubu had declared that the era of petrol subsidies was over.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the announcement led gas prices to soar from an average of N238.11 per liter before May 29, 2023, to an average of N750/liter.
The President launched the Presidential CNG Initiative in October 2023 in an effort to provide more economical, environmentally beneficial, and safe energy options. The effort intends to introduce more than 20,000 CNG conversion kits, 100 electric buses, and 5,500 CNG buses and tricycles.
Falade expressed frustration over the incomplete consignment process, noting, “The consignment from the conversion facilities has been done, but not wholeheartedly the way we expected it. We are just waiting for activations. So, we are expecting the rest to be distributed. We are expecting others to be launched.”
According to him, the plan was initially scheduled to be completed by May 29, but unforeseen issues have caused delays.
“We had some issues along the line, so we are awaiting distribution, especially with a lot of issues coming out from this protest. I believe the government is not taking it lightly,” Falade noted.
Recall that in April 2024, the Presidency declared that it was prepared to introduce over 2,700 tricycles and buses running on compressed natural gas (CNG) prior to President Bola Tinubu’s one-year anniversary on May 29.
In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, titled ‘Presidential CNG initiative set for rollout,” it read, “From the end of May, Nigeria will take some baby steps to join such nations that already have large fleets of CNG vehicles.
“All is now ready for delivery of the first set of critical assets for deployment and launch of the CNG initiative ahead of the first anniversary of the Tinubu administration on May 29.
“About 2,500 of the tricycles will be ready before May 29, 2024…working towards delivering 200 units before the first anniversary of the Tinubu administration.”
