The Ekiti State Government has deployed 15 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses as part of moves to cut transport fares by 50 per cent and ease the burden of rising transportation costs on residents.
Governor Biodun Oyebanji said the initiative, which coincided with the Independence Day and 30th anniversary celebrations, marked a major step in the state’s efforts to provide more affordable public transportation in line with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Oyebanji spoke on Thursday during the official flag-off of the CNG buses at the premises of the Ekiti State Transportation Agency in Ado Ekiti.
The governor, who was accompanied by Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, said the 15 buses donated to the state by the Federal Government would serve as the pilot phase of the programme, with plans to expand the fleet to serve more residents.
He said the initiative was designed to reduce transportation costs and provide commuters with more affordable and accessible means of transportation.
“My appeal is to the unions, they should allow the gains to translate to the commuters because this will reduce transportation cost by 50 percent,” Oyebanji said.
The governor expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for the intervention, saying the provision of the buses would contribute significantly to reducing the transportation burden on residents.
He urged transport unions to ensure that the savings from the use of CNG were reflected in lower fares for commuters.
Oyebanji also said the Federal Government’s economic policies had provided states with more resources to implement programmes and projects that directly benefit residents.
“No matter how visionary a leader is, if there are no resources to work with, it will just stay in the realm of a vision,” he said.
He added that the President had been supporting Ekiti and other states to translate development plans into programmes with tangible impact on citizens.
The governor said the 15 buses would be distributed to transport unions, while the Ekiti State Transportation Agency would oversee their management.
Speaking on the deployment, the Director-General of the Ekiti State Transportation Agency, Tajudeen Akingbolu, said routes had been mapped out for the CNG buses to 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 burden of high transport fares.
The state government said it would continue to explore ways to reduce transportation costs and expand affordable public transportation across Ekiti.