Motorists queue for CNG amid high transport fares

Motorists who have converted their vehicles from petrol to compressed natural gas are now spending hours waiting at filling stations to access the cheaper fuel, The PUNCH reports.

The development has emerged as a major setback to the Federal Government’s efforts to provide Nigerians with more affordable fuel options following the removal of the petrol subsidy.

With petrol prices ranging between N1,350 and N1,400 per litre, some motorists, particularly commercial drivers, have switched to CNG in a bid to reduce their running costs.

However, long queues at CNG stations are raising concerns among drivers, with some saying they cannot afford to lose valuable working hours waiting to refuel. They fear that the delays could recreate the experience of petrol queues that motorists endured in the past.

Findings by our correspondent showed that at the NIPCO CNG station in Ibafo, Ogun State, motorists stay in the queue overnight to buy CNG.

Around 11 pm on weekdays, the queues extend to more than half of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, obstructing motorists driving towards Mowe from Lagos.

It was gathered that some passengers now avoid CNG buses because they may end up spending hours in refuelling stations.

Our correspondent observed that several buses in Lagos and Ogun plying Mile 2, Oshodi, Berger, Mowe/Ibafo, Ogere, Ibadan and Sagamu now run on CNG. These buses are easily identified because the CNG cylinders are installed under their seats.

Recall that the Federal Government converted thousands of commercial buses to CNG, going through different transport unions, while many others said they paid as much as N1m to get their vehicles converted.

But despite the increased number of converted vehicles, the number of refilling stations remains inadequate.

At NIPCO CNG station in Ibafo, long queues have become a routine. Motorists spend quality hours most times to have their cylinders filled up.

Our correspondent, who has visited the station several times, observed that buses of different sizes, cars and trucks stay in queues to buy CNG. The queues always stretch from the station to the highway.

A bus driver identified as Saheed told our correspondent how those in the queue to buy CNG now cause traffic on the busy road at night.

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“If you come here around 11am to 12 pm, you will see that those who want to buy gas would have blocked the road. They would leave just one lane for traffic. That’s not too good,” the driver said.

At the station, passengers were heard lamenting how much time they have wasted waiting for their vehicles to buy CNG. Some of them travelling long distances like Ibadan, Ogere or Sagamu were forced to wait for their buses, having paid the drivers before entering the station.

Along the Mowe/Ibafo, our correspondent observed there are two other CNG stations. One is owned by Petrocam, and the other is almost in the opposite direction within gated premises. The two stations are always seen with queues.

Queues are also regular at the NNPC CNG station in Ilasamaja and the station at Mobil along Ajegunle Road in Lagos.

From Lagos to Ogun, Oyo, Benin, Abuja and others, CNG queues are inevitable, casting doubts on the government’s efforts to give Nigerians cheaper fuel in place of costly petrol.

Motorists in Lagos and Ogun told The PUNCH that they now drive to distant locations to get their cylinders filled. For example, a Danfo driver, Ade John, told our correspondent how he usually drives to Ogere and stations along the Sagamu/Ijebu-Ode road to buy CNG.

According to him, these stations have shorter queues compared to those in Lagos and the Mowe/Ibafo axis.

Many commercial drivers said they would love to convert their vehicles but were discouraged by the high cost of conversion, the non-availability of refuelling along their routes and the safety concerns.

“I converted my bus at the rate of N1.4m. That’s a huge investment,” a commercial driver, Tunde Alao, told our correspondent on Wednesday as he drove towards Ogere to buy CNG.

Findings by The PUNCH indicated that the cost of transportation has not reduced as promised by the Federal Government. The motorists blamed this on high cost of conversion and low number of CNG stations across the country.

Recently, President Bola Tinubu gave an update on what he called the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme.

He recalled that on 27 August, the 36 governors agreed that Nigerians should begin to see measurable reductions in transportation costs. So, an implementation committee for the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme was established under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, chaired by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara.

“I am aware of the considerable work already underway by the committee, PI-CNG & EV, the States, and other critical stakeholders to identify priority transport corridors, determine appropriate interventions, and put the necessary arrangements in place,” the president said.