Oyebanji Unveils CNG Buses as Ekiti Targets 50% Fare Cut

For the Nigerian traveller, the real price of a journey is no longer the distance but the fare. Ekiti State has now moved to change that, rolling out a fleet of buses meant to bring the cost of getting around back within reach.

The state government on Thursday began moves to cut transport fares by 50 percent, deploying Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to cushion the cost for residents.

ValidViewNetwork reports that the buses carry the branding of Ekiti Transport Services, with the promise of comfort, safety and affordability on their sides.

THE ROUTES

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The Director General of the Ekiti State Transportation Agency, Hon. Tajudeen Akingbolu, said routes had been mapped from Ado-Ekiti to Lagos, Ibadan, Onitsha and Abuja. He said the initiative would give residents more affordable and reliable interstate travel while easing the burden of high fares.

Reports differ on the full route list. ValidViewNetwork reports that the state has rolled out about 15 CNG buses under the scheme, expected to serve Lagos, Ibadan and Port Harcourt.

THE FARE PROBLEM

The need is plain at any motor park. Ado-Ekiti to Lagos costs N15,000, while fares to Akure, Ibadan and Ilorin are N4,000, N8,000 and N7,500 respectively.

Picture a civil servant in Ado-Ekiti whose family lives in Lagos, or a student heading to Ibadan. Each trip now eats a visible share of a month’s pay.

A 50 percent cut would be felt at once.

THE TEST AHEAD

Cheap fares must show up at the bus stop to count. The scheme will be judged on how many buses run, how often, and whether passengers actually pay less. Commuters will watch the first weeks closely.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The launch continues Ekiti’s palliative approach to hardship, which earlier included free bus services for students and civil servants in Ado-Ekiti and Ikere-Ekiti.

This time the target is longer interstate journeys.Ekiti has put 15 buses on the road. Whether they put money back in passengers’ pockets is the question the scheme must answer.