Abuja CNG-powered taxis reduce fare to lessen commuters’ burden

The Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) has announced a 40 percent fare reduction by CNG-powered taxis from the motor park in Area One, Garki, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The Programme Director/Chief Executive Officer of PCNGI, Engineer Michael Oluwagbemi, while briefing the media at the Area One Motor Park in Abuja on Friday, said the reduction was aimed at mitigating the burden caused by the removal of petrol subsidy by the Federal Government.

Oluwagbemi, who was represented by the Expansion/Regional Manager for the North, David Idakwo, stated that the reduction was a result of collaboration between PCNGI management and the leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), saying more than 50 percent of the vehicles in the park were CNG-powered.

He said, “We have worked hand-in-hand with the National Union of Road Transport Workers. We have converted a lot of their vehicles and based on the agreement that we have with them, of course, it is for them to reduce the prices for the general public so that the effect of the fuel subsidy that was taken off, the burden will be reduced on Nigerians.

“I’m here to announce to you that here in Area One Park, as of today, in conjunction with the leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, we have come here to start enforcing the price reduction. This is why we are here.

“What we agreed with the National Union of Road Transport Workers, they have given us the prices, the fare amount from Area 1 to different destinations when they were running on petrol and we have come together, made an analysis and achieved a 40 percent reduction in the fare, in the transportation from Area 1 to all other destinations.”

Oluwagbemi, while giving an analysis of the reduction, said transport fare from Area One to Gwagwalada, which hitherto cost N1,500 with petrol, has been reduced to N900, while Area One to Bwari Dutse, which also cost N1,500, is now N900.

He added that the fare from Area One to Kuje, which was N1,200, was reduced to N720; Area One to Galadimawa, which was N500, was reduced to N300; Area One to Mpape from N1,000 to N600; and Area One to Zuba from N1,500 to N900, among others.

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On how drivers will be made to comply with the new fares, the PCNGI boss said there is already a task force in place, comprising members of the PCNGI and NURTW, to enforce the new price regime.

The Branch Secretary of NURTW, Garki, Ibrahim Jibril, who spoke for the Union and corroborated Oluwagbemi’s view, said a task force was put in place to ensure compliance, given the number of vehicles that have been converted at the park, which he put at over 75 percent.

“When we noticed that most of the vehicles are being converted, we put a tax force in place in order to check vehicles that are already being converted so that we can be able to give a reduction in their prices. And part of our strategies are vehicles that have been converted.

“We have a price tag written on the vehicles so that you, as a passenger, if you are going to Gwagwalada, Nyanya, you will notice that this vehicle is being converted, and this is the price tag,” Jibril said.

Tribune Online reports that the Presidential CNG Initiative (Pi-CNG) is a component of the palliative intervention by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, directed at providing succour to the masses affected by the transitional hardships resulting from the Federal Government’s fuel subsidy removal policy.

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