LASG Gets 20 More CNG Buses, Boosts Clean Transport Drive

The Lagos State Government (LASG) has taken delivery of 20 additional high-capacity Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses under the Presidential Initiative on CNG and Electric Vehicle (EV) Buses, as efforts to expand cleaner and more efficient public transportation gather pace.

The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) disclosed this in a statement, saying the new buses would increase public transportation capacity while supporting Lagos’ transition towards cleaner energy.

Speaking at the handover ceremony in Lagos, Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, said the buses would improve commuters’ daily travel experience through increased capacity, better comfort and cleaner journeys.

Osiyemi said the intervention went beyond the provision of buses, describing it as an opportunity to build a “cleaner, smarter, and more sustainable transportation system.”

He noted that high-capacity buses could transport more commuters with fewer vehicles, potentially reducing waiting times along supported routes.

The commissioner commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the initiative, saying it was consistent with Lagos State’s investment in an integrated transportation network covering Bus Rapid Transit, rail, waterways and other mass-transit infrastructure.

He called for continued Federal Government support through additional CNG buses and the infrastructure required for their effective operation and maintenance.

Osiyemi also urged private-sector investors to explore opportunities in fleet financing, vehicle leasing, CNG infrastructure, electric vehicle charging, maintenance, technology, ticketing and fleet management.

He said Lagos remained committed to working with the Federal Government, transport operators, investors and other stakeholders to develop a public transportation system that is efficient and environmentally sustainable.

“Today, we receive buses. Tomorrow, we build a cleaner future. A cleaner Lagos is a better Lagos,” he said.

Also speaking, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LAMATA, Abimbola Akinajo, said the handover represented another practical step towards providing Lagos residents with more efficient, affordable, reliable and sustainable public transportation.

Akinajo disclosed that Lagos currently has approximately 150 CNG buses, including 36 buses allocated to operators under LAMATA’s regulatory framework.

She said the additional 20 buses would further strengthen bus-service capacity on the corridors where they would be deployed.

According to her, the buses represented additional capacity to move people, connect communities and support the economic activities of millions of Lagos residents who depend on public transportation.

She charged the beneficiary operators to deploy the buses efficiently and maintain them properly to ensure commuters derive the full benefits of the intervention.

Akinajo also assured Lagos residents and partners that LAMATA would continue to provide regulatory oversight to ensure the buses improve the quality, reliability and sustainability of public transportation across the metropolis.

In his remarks, the Chief Operations Officer of Pi-CNG&EV, Tosin Coker, said Lagos was “critical to the energy transition in the public transport sector,” explaining the importance attached to the state under the presidential initiative.

Coker urged the beneficiary operators to ensure proper maintenance of the buses so they could effectively serve the commuters for whom they were provided.