The Ogun State Government has announced plans to support local transporters by providing 100 new 18-seater Toyota Hiace buses powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), which will be available through an instalment payment option.
Governor Dapo Abiodun made this announcement on Monday during a meeting with transport unions in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, aimed at ensuring fair transportation pricing across the state.
In a statement shared on the state’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, the governor expressed confidence that transporters would responsibly use the buses and meet their payment obligations.
“The plans that we have as a state government, our plans are to, in the first instance, make 100 buses—100 18-seater buses—available to our transport unions. These will be 100 brand new CNG buses, and these buses will be brand buses, not no-name buses. We are talking about Toyota Hiace buses that we will give to you under a purchase agreement.
“We will make them available to you, and you can pay in instalments over a period of time. You have demonstrated commitment and seriousness, and we are confident that when we give you these buses, you will utilize them responsibly and pay back on time,” the statement read part..
Furthermore, Gov. Abiodun disclosed that the Federal Government has initiated an Energy Transition Program through the Presidential CNG initiative, and as part of this, 20 CNG buses will be made available to Ogun State in the first phase, with delivery expected within the next week.
Additionally, he added that 500 CNG conversion kits will be supplied to facilitate the immediate conversion of vehicles to CNG-powered systems. The first batch of these kits will arrive in five days.
Governor Abiodun also emphasized that Ogun State, which operates a major vehicle conversion centre for the Southwest, will begin converting vehicles based on a coordinated schedule, determining which vehicles to convert first.
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Governor Prince Abiodun also announced the formation of an enforcement committee in Ogun State to address the ongoing issues surrounding transportation pricing.
- The committee, which includes the State Police Commissioner, the Department of State Security Service (DSS), the Traffic Compliance Agency (TRACE), heads of transport unions, and representatives from the Ministries of Transportation and Trade and Investment, has been tasked with overseeing transport fares and ensuring fair pricing practices.
- The meeting, called by the governor, was prompted by recent developments such as fuel scarcity and the subsequent hike in fuel prices. Governor Abiodun acknowledged that transport fares tend to increase disproportionately whenever there is a slight adjustment in fuel prices, creating a heavy burden on the public.
