Korede Abdullah 
LAGOS, Nigeria – Lagos State has received 35 new buses powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) and electricity as part of Federal Government efforts to expand public transport capacity, reduce operating costs and make commuting more affordable.
The Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (Pi-CNG & EV) handed over 15 CNG buses and 20 electric buses to the Lagos State Government on Wednesday.
The vehicles were formally presented by the initiative’s Chief Operating Officer, Tosin Coker, to the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, and the Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Abimbola Akinajo.
Coker said the deployment was intended to increase transport capacity while reducing the cost of operating public buses. “These buses will move more people, provide additional capacity, reduce operating costs and ultimately help bring more affordable fares to Lagos commuters,” he said.
He, however, stressed that the success of the transition to cleaner public transport would depend on adequate supporting infrastructure, including CNG refuelling stations, electric-vehicle charging facilities, maintenance centres and trained technical personnel. “Deploying vehicles without the corresponding infrastructure is not sustainable,” Coker said.
He commended the Lagos State Government, particularly the Ibile Oil & Gas Corporation, for efforts to expand CNG refuelling infrastructure across the state.
Coker added that discussions with Lagos could also explore cleaner and cheaper energy options for water transportation.
Osiyemi welcomed the intervention, saying the buses would increase transport capacity and provide commuters with more comfortable and cleaner journeys.
He called for the deployment of more CNG buses and supporting infrastructure, while urging private investors to explore opportunities in fleet financing, leasing, CNG infrastructure, electric-vehicle charging, maintenance, technology, ticketing and fleet management.
Akinajo disclosed that Lagos currently has about 150 CNG buses, including 36 allocated to operators under LAMATA’s regulatory framework.
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Hope Ajayi 
Oluwatobi Adu