The Lagos State chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers has introduced its first fleet of 3,000 Compressed Natural Gas commercial tricycles, valued at N10.2 billion.
According to The PUNCH, this initiative, launched on Wednesday in Lagos by Alhaji Azeez Abiola, a key figure in the union, aims to alleviate transportation challenges in the state.
Alhaji Abiola, who serves as the Zonal Chairman of the Tricycle Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria, a division of the NURTW, emphasized that the deployment of these tricycles would provide much-needed relief to commuters by reducing transportation costs, which have been rising due to economic pressures.
“Over 3,000 CNG tricycles have been deployed to the state to ease the cost of transportation among the residents and at the same time reduce economic hardship,” Abiola explained during the event.
He noted that the project would significantly lower daily fuel costs for operators, allowing for more affordable fares for passengers.
The CNG tricycles, which will officially begin operations on Thursday, are expected to drastically reduce operational expenses for drivers.
“This development will reduce the cost of living among our people drastically because it costs a tricyclist N15,000 fuel to operate daily, while CNG operation will cost between N2,500 and N3,000 for daily operations,” Abiola further noted.
Additionally, the initiative is set to generate over 5,000 jobs, both for tricycle operators and for technicians who will manage CNG conversions and maintenance.
Abiola expressed gratitude for the support of President Bola Tinubu and highlighted the collaborative efforts of the state’s NURTW leadership, ensuring that union members benefited from this transformation.
“We also appreciate the support of our state NURTW chairman for this initiative and for making it possible for members to be beneficiaries,” Abiola added.
He stressed that this initiative would help integrate hundreds of NURTW members into the transport system while curbing excessive fare charges through better regulation.
However, Abiola called on the government to address the issue of limited access to CNG refueling stations.
“The only challenge we are having now is that of the CNG filling station which is only situated at Agidingbi in Ikeja, while our members are operating in Alagbado, Agbado-Okeodo, Ifako-Ijaiye, Agege and Alimosho,” he said, urging for more stations across Lagos.
He also requested the government to reconsider the restrictions on tricycles along certain routes, particularly those leading to the CNG refueling station, to ensure smooth operations for the new fleet.
“We also want the government to lift the ban of tricycles on the routes linked to the CNG filling station to make refilling easier,” Abiola concluded.
