The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has received four hybrid buses through the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative.
Donating the 50 seater buses on Thursday, the Chief Executive Officer and Program Director of the PCNGi, Mr Michael Oluwagbemi, said the gesture is another step to provide cheaper and safer means of transportation for Abuja residents.
He commended the minister of FCT Nyesom Wike for supporting the CNG initiative especially with the construction of new bus terminals as the starting point.
Oluwagbemi said,”Naturally we looked around and our Federal Capital Territory, having demonstrated great support for this program, having shown great innovation itself by investing not just in the roads, but bus terminals under the leadership of the Minister, we felt that the FCT should be a major beneficiary of this.
“I look forward in the next two to three years, to an FCT where I will decide, despite the fact that I own numerous vehicles, to leave my vehicle at home and to take one of these buses to town and go to places and work, as it is done in other developed countries.
“So we want to thank you. This is a Presidential initiative, Mr President wants to see Nigerians move around cheaper, safer and reliable. On behalf of the board of the PCNGi and the Management and Staff of the Presidential CNG Initiative, I hand over these keys to you of these four CNG hybrid buses to the glory of God, to the service of humanity and for the employment of the people of the FCT,” he said.
The mandate secretary, FCT Transportation Secretariat, Chinedu Elechi while recieving the keys on behalf of the minister, appreciated the President for the donations, noting that the buses will compliment the transportation infrastructure efforts of the FCTA.
He said, “So, public transportation is meant to move people from one point to the other, especially those who cannot afford private transportation, or those who can afford private transportation but opt to go on the public system.
“This is why the Honourable Minister has built roads, bridges, and is now building bus terminals. We have just commissioned two of the modern bus terminals at Mabushi and Kugbo. These buses, as good as they look, will be very helpful. We are going to get more buses, the Minister is already working on that and we thank you so very much for this.
“So, on behalf of the Honourable Minister and the FCTA, we want to thank you and we say that you should extend our gratitude to Mr President, whose initiative this is, and you too for your hard work,” Elechi said.
