The Niger state government has signed an agreement with four contracting firms for the purchase of 200 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses at the cost of N7 billion.
The signing of the agreement was supervised by Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago at the Government House, Minna on Tuesday.
Bago in his remarks explained that the purchase of the 200 buses is in fulfilment of his promise to provide free transportation for pupils and students.
He said that transportation fares will be subsidized for all Civil servants at both inter and intra-state services.
The governor said the first 100 buses will be deployed to serve commuters between Abuja and Suleja, 50 to be used in Minna, the state capital while the remaining 50 Buses will be spread across other local government areas.
He said, “An additional 300 buses will be purchased next year as part of the second phase of the scheme.”
Describing the initiative as a way of reducing hardship faced by citizens due to fuel subsidy removal, Governor Bago said the gesture is also to bring a revolution in the transportation system and reduce the rate of accidents on roads.
According to him, “in the next four years, the State intends to purchase 1000 CNG buses and electric motorcycles to reduce the pollution caused by the fuel engine motorcycles.”
While calling on the contractors to deliver the buses according to the specifications, the governor also called on investors to take advantage of the policy to establish CNG plants in the state.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Transportation, Hajiya Hadiza Idris Kuta said the state government is to purchase the buses at about N7 billion.