Ekiti rolls out 15 CNG buses, targets 50% fare reduction

Ekiti State has rolled out 15 Compressed Natural Gas buses in a pilot scheme that Governor Biodun Oyebanji says will cut transport fares by 50 per cent.

The buses were unveiled on Thursday at the Ekiti State Transportation Agency in Ado-Ekiti. The launch coincided with Nigeria’s Independence Day and the state’s 30th anniversary.

Tajudeen Akingbolu, the agency’s director-general, said routes had been mapped out linking Ado-Ekiti with Lagos, Ibadan, Onitsha and Abuja. The buses are intended to provide cheaper interstate travel for residents.

The Federal Government donated the 15 buses. Oyebanji said they would be distributed to transport unions, with the state transportation agency managing the scheme.

The governor urged the unions to pass the savings on to passengers. The 50 per cent reduction is the government’s stated target for the initiative, rather than a confirmed cut across all existing services.

Oyebanji, who was accompanied at the launch by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, said President Bola Tinubu had asked governors to find ways to reduce transport costs by October 1.

He described the initial deployment as a pilot and said the state would add vehicles so more residents could benefit.

Sources: Punch, Channels TV