Just In : Wale Edun visits CNG bus assembly plant, says rollout will reduce inflation
Wale Edun, minister of finance, says Nigerians will soon start reaping the benefits of the compressed natural gas (CNG) buses.
In a statement, Temitope Ajayi, senior special adviser on publicity to President Bola Tinubu, said Edun spoke on Friday when he visited the JET Motor Company assembly plant in Lagos.
JET is one of the four assembly plants where CNG buses are being assembled under the presidential CNG initiative (Pi-CNG).
The federal government had announced in April that in collaboration with the private sector, the Pi-CNG will deliver 100 conversion workshops and 60 refuelling sites across 18 states, before the end of the year.
Edun said the Pi-CNG is about affordable mass transit and reducing inflation.
He added that while the Pi-CNG has witnessed delays, the benefits will soon be available to Nigerians.
“I have come to see the CNG buses that Nigerians are asking about. I have seen them. I have tested them and driven them. I have seen them being assembled. The benefits will soon be available to Nigerians,” Edun said.
“Two critical aims will be achieved. Whereas it costs about N55,000 to fill a 15-20 seater buses with petrol, it will cost between N12-15,000 to fill a CNG bus of the same capacity.
“This is three times, if not four times less. This is a huge savings that will help reduce transport costs and at the same time help reduce inflation.”
Edun lauded JET’s employment of local talents in the assembly of the vehicles.