Adopt CNG transport scheme, lawmaker urges states, LGs

House of Representatives Chairman Ademorin Kuye has urged state governors and local government chairmen to adopt mass transit schemes, specifically compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, to mitigate the impact of high transportation costs on workers. The call comes after the Federal Government launched 37 CNG-powered buses in Abuja as part of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, aimed at providing subsidized transportation for civil servants and commuters amid the rising cost of living triggered by the removal of the petrol subsidy.

Kuye praised the Federal Government's initiative, which he believes provides direct relief to civil servants and reduces dependence on petrol, while also delivering environmental and public health benefits due to lower emissions compared to petrol and diesel. He emphasized that while the 37 buses in Abuja are a step in the right direction, they are insufficient to meet the transportation needs of the Federal Government's workforce and the millions of state and local government employees across the nation.

Kuye urged state governors and local government chairmen to emulate the initiative by procuring CNG buses for civil servants and other commuters, and to work with the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative and private sector operators to facilitate access to conversion kits, financing, and technical expertise. He also called on the Federal Ministry of Transportation and the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative to accelerate the expansion of the program beyond Abuja, emphasizing that a wider rollout would benefit more workers and commuters.