The Federal Government has begun engaging state governors, transport unions and commercial fleet operators to enforce lower transport fares for commuters using Compressed Natural Gas powered vehicles, as its CNG initiative attracts more than $2.5 billion in private sector investment.

The Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles said it will introduce stickers displaying designated routes and approved fares on buses deployed under the programme to improve transparency and prevent operators from overcharging passengers.

The Head of Brand and Communications at the initiative, Onyekachi Eke, said the agency has started meeting governors to map out routes and develop fare reduction arrangements in line with the presidential directive. She said a meeting with the Jigawa State governor has been scheduled to finalise implementation plans for the state.

Eke explained that every bus distributed under the programme will carry a sticker indicating its route and approved fare, so that passengers will know what they should pay before boarding. She said Abuja is already recording up to 40 percent fare reduction on designated routes through partnership with the National Union of Road Transport Workers, with similar progress in Borno, Enugu, Niger and Abia States, although she admitted that reductions have not yet reached every route.

According to the initiative, more than $2.5 billion in private investment has been mobilised across refuelling infrastructure, conversion centres and vehicle assembly, while Federal Government interventions have covered vehicle procurement, conversion incentives and training. The programme has also recorded over 120,000 vehicle conversions and more than 90 operational CNG refuelling stations nationwide.

President Bola Tinubu had on August 27 said the Federal Government and governors agreed to reduce fares nationwide from October 1, noting that cheaper fuel should result in cheaper fares for Nigerians.