NURTW Chairman Urges FG To Extend CNG Transport Subsidy To Interstate Operators

The Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Bus Long Journey, Kakuri branch, Kaduna State, Comrade Yakubu Lawal, has called on the Federal Government to extend subsidised transportation through Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered and electric vehicles to more commercial transport operators, particularly those on interstate routes.

Lawal said the initiative would help reduce transport fares, ease the financial burden on passengers and improve patronage amid rising living costs and increasing operational expenses.

He made the appeal on Monday, November 2, 2026, during a visit by LEADERSHIP Newspapers to the union’s park in Kaduna, following President Bola Tinubu’s October 1 announcement of plans to subsidise transportation through CNG-powered and electric vehicles.

According to him, the prevailing economic situation has made interstate travel increasingly unaffordable for many Nigerians, forcing some passengers to abandon non-essential journeys.

Despite the challenges, Lawal said the park continued to serve passengers travelling to destinations across the country, including Port Harcourt, Enugu and Aba.

He, however, disclosed that transport operators were experiencing declining patronage as the rising cost of living continued to weaken passengers’ purchasing power.

“Sometimes, we load only three buses in a day as big as this park is,” he said.

Lawal explained that the union had been trying to balance the financial interests of its members with passengers’ economic difficulties by avoiding arbitrary fare increases despite rising operating costs.

He disclosed that the fare from Kaduna to Port Harcourt had increased from about N30,000 to N35,000, expressing concern over the growing difficulty passengers faced in paying for interstate journeys.

“We know that the masses are suffering daily. We always sympathise with our customers because we understand the economic problems in the country,” he said.

The NURTW chairman lamented that the branch had yet to acquire CNG-powered buses, despite the Federal Government’s drive to promote cleaner and more affordable energy for transportation.

Although some union members had reportedly been offered opportunities to benefit from the programme through designated slots, he said the initiative had not reached a significant number of operators at the branch level.

He identified the rising costs of fuel, vehicle maintenance and spare parts as major challenges affecting the transport business, adding that some operators could only afford to deploy two or three vehicles daily.

Lawal urged the Federal Government to ensure that the proposed transport subsidy reached more commercial operators, especially those providing interstate services, to lower fares, improve passenger patronage and sustain transport businesses.

He maintained that effective implementation of the CNG and electric vehicle initiative would improve mobility and provide relief for both passengers and transport operators.

A passenger, identified as Ngozi, also decried the rising cost of interstate travel, saying many Nigerians now considered the necessity of a journey before deciding to travel.

“Some passengers now believe that any journey must be very important before they embark on it. Some of us even prefer to send money to our loved ones rather than travel if it is not compulsory,” she said.

Ngozi added that travelling from Kaduna to Aba, Abia State, could cost at least N100,000 in transportation alone, describing the expense as a significant burden.

Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Government, through the Kaduna State Transport Authority, continues to provide free intercity bus services powered by CNG to residents, a programme that predates President Tinubu’s October 1 directive.