Ekiti Deploys 15 CNG Buses, Targets 50% Reduction in Transport Fares

The Ekiti State Government has deployed 15 Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, buses across the state, with a target of reducing transportation fares by 50 per cent.

Governor Biodun Oyebanji, while flagging off the buses at the premises of the Ekiti State Transportation Agency in Ado-Ekiti, said the initiative was aimed at cushioning the impact of high transportation costs on residents and providing more affordable public transportation.

The governor, who was accompanied by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, said the 15 buses provided by the Federal Government marked the beginning of the state’s CNG transportation programme, with plans to expand the fleet.

Governor Oyebanji appealed to transport unions to ensure that the savings from the use of CNG are reflected in the fares paid by commuters.

He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for providing the buses, saying the intervention would help reduce the burden of transportation on residents.

The Director-General of the Ekiti State Transportation Agency, Tajudeen Akingbolu, said routes had been mapped out for the buses to operate from Ado-Ekiti to Lagos, Ibadan, Onitsha and Abuja.

Akingbolu said the initiative would provide residents with more affordable, reliable and efficient interstate transportation.

The state government says it plans to expand the CNG bus scheme to more routes as part of efforts to improve access to affordable public transportation across Ekiti State.