Kaduna: CNG initiative provides conversion kits to commercial drivers

As part of efforts to convert as many cars as possible to the use of Compressed Natural Gas, the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) has provided 100 free conversion kits to the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Kaduna state.

Speaking at the Kaduna Park to Park rally on Friday, the Programme Coordinator, PCNGI, Mr. Folarin Oworu, said the kits provided to the commercial drivers through their various union leaders were part of moves by the Federal Government to bring down transportation fares across the country.

He, however, noted that each kit given to the drivers for free cost between N1. 2 million to N1. 5 million and urged the drivers to make judicious use of the items.

He said the kick off in Kaduna was done with 100 conversion kits, adding that the next point of the rally would be Lagos, believing that before the year runs, the 36 States must have been covered.

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“Mr. President has decided to make conversion free for the road transport unions, that is, the NURTW, NATO and other road transport unions. The idea is to bring down the cost of commercial transportation. How do we do that; by converting the commercial vehicles of transport unions to make their running cost cheaper, the idea is for them to translate this savings up to the end users by making transportation cheaper. So that is what we are doing here,” he added.

He mentioned that the initiative is targeting over 250,000 conversion of vehicles annually starting from next year.

In his goodwill message, former National President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Alhaji Majid Usman Yasmin applauded the President’s support for the transport sector and the decision to provide conversion kits free of charge to commercial vehicles, estimated to benefit 1 million vehicles.

He encouraged members of NURTW, NATO, and other road users to key into the program, which aims to reduce the suffering of the masses by decreasing transportation costs and fuel prices.

The Presidential CNG initiative (CNGi) is a key component of President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s palliative measures aimed at mitigating the effects of the fuel subsidy removal policy on the masses.