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The Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative has signed an agreement with the Airport Taxi Operators at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to convert 800 vehicles to CNG to reduce transport fares.
The Programme Director/Chief Executive, P-CNGI, Mr Michael Oluwagbemi, stated this at the agreement signing on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said there would be a 30 per cent discount on airport shuttle fares once the agreement is implemented.
Oluwagbemi, who was represented by the initiative’s Programme Execution Coordinator, Mr Folarin Oworo, said the conversion fulfilled President Bola Tinubu’s promise to convert one million commercial vehicles to cushion high transportation fares due to the increased fuel price.
“The airport taxi operators have about 800 fleet of vehicles and we have agreed that once we hit 50 per cent conversion, which is about 400 vehicles, a 30 per cent discount will be implemented immediately.
“There are various prices based on the distance one is travelling, so, the 30 per cent will be applied accordingly, based on the current prices for the area one is going.
“A red card with prices and discounts will also be available in the vehicle based on the passenger’s destination. And to ensure compliance, there will be regular monitoring for diligent delivery,” he said.
He noted that the P-CNGI has conversion partners with accredited centres to achieve the aim, adding that there were about seven refilling stations in Abuja against one being used when the programme commenced a year ago.
According to Oluwagbemi, more stations are coming up as the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority which is responsible for licensing new stations has many approvals on that development.
In October 2024, a CNG-powered vehicle explosion at the NIPCO filling station in Aduwawa, Benin, Edo State, left three people severely injured, including a motorist who suffered eye injuries.
An attendant at the station, who requested anonymity, told The PUNCH that two others—a woman whose stomach was ripped open and another person whose foot was amputated due to the blast—are also receiving treatment at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Ugbowo.
However, Oluwagbemi allayed fears entertained by Nigerians on the explosion of CNG vehicles, saying that an explosion could only occur if the conversion was done illegally, with locally manufactured cylinders.
“Cylinders used for CNG are practically bulletproof and cannot explode or break. So we implore Nigerians not to cut corners.
“The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has also certified the CNG cylinders the P-CNGI is using. We guarantee in our conversion that an explosion cannot occur unless there is an intentional tampering with it.
“We have different sizes of cylinders – 65 and 75 litres to reduce the time of refilling. Going forward, we will introduce various sizes and shapes to suit vehicles and loads to carry,” he said.
Responding, the Spokesman, Airport taxi operators, Aliyu Abdulaziz-Aliyu, lauded the P-CNGI for signing the agreement for the Federal Government to initiate the programme.
Abdulaziz-Aliyu, who thanked the government for the free-of-charge service, said the operators were looking forward to seeing their vehicles converted immediately from petrol to CNG, to drastically reduce airport taxi fares.
NAN
