NURTW urges FG to expedite CNG vehicles for hardship relief

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NURTW urges FG to expedite CNG vehicles for hardship relief
NURTW urges FG to expedite CNG vehicles for hardship relief

The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has called upon the Federal Government to expedite the rollout of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered buses, emphasizing the potential relief it could offer amid subsidy removal.

In July, President Bola Tinubu pledged to acquire and distribute 3,000 CNG-fueled buses for affordable mass transit across states and local governments.

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, echoed the sentiment, highlighting the cost-saving benefits of CNG vehicles for transportation.

NURTW spokesperson, Segun Falade, expressed support for this initiative.

He stressed that while the 3,000 CNG buses were insufficient to cater to the entire population, the government should expedite the process of acquiring them.

Falade stated, “CNG buses are alternatives that can help ease the effect of the subsidy removal, especially in the context of the current fuel costs compared to CNG.”

He continued, “What the government should do is that they should try to expedite the process of acquiring the buses.

They have announced the intention to procure 3,000 buses nationwide, which falls far short of the total number of passengers across Nigeria.”

Falade pointed out that the NURTW alone has over three million transporters, so 3,000 buses would be inadequate.

However, he noted that the nine percent allocation of buses is a positive step.

He recommended comprehensive training for users to enhance safety and minimize accidents, emphasizing that the government should accelerate the bus procurement process.

He suggested increasing the number of buses from the initial 3,000, even if it’s done in phases, to get closer to 10,000 buses for Nigerians. Commercial drivers should also receive proper training and support.