FG takes delivery of 68 hybrid CNG buses from Jet Motor Company

In continuation of efforts to provide affordable and comfortable transport solutions for Nigerians, the federal government received 68 hybrid CNG Jet Mover buses from Jet Motor Company, an indigenous car manufacturing company, yesterday.

The hybrid Jet Mover runs on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) commonly called PMS.

The vehicles were handed over to a team of officials from the Ministry of Finance and representatives of the Presidential Initiative for Compressed Natural Gas (P-CNGi) during a brief ceremony at the company’s plant in the Ajah area of Lagos State.

Speaking at the event, Dimas Hamidu, the Technical Assistant to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance acknowledged the good quality of the Jet Mover vehicles and commended the company for its good work.

He said the hybrid vehicles were a testimony to the commitment of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s administration to alleviate the hardships that may have been brought on by the removal of fuel subsidies.

According to him, the vehicles will go a long way in helping to solve the transportation needs of the citizens, and help to cushion the impact of rising costs in the economy.

“I am happy with what I have seen here. This will go a long way in alleviating the pains and sufferings of the people with the removal of fuel subsidy”.

Hamidu recalled, “I was here earlier with the Honorable minister of finance, and we were taken round the plant. The minister even drove one of the vehicles, and he was very impressed.”

He also noted that the federal government had awarded contracts for CNG vehicles to different companies to deliver different numbers of units.

“Nigerians were becoming agitated, and asking why they were not seeing these vehicles on the road. This is why the Ministry of Finance decided to have a tour of the factories, and their facilities to see how soon they can deliver. We are impressed with Jet Motor for sticking to the terms of the contract, and the vehicles are following the specification”.

“And, we hope that very soon they will invite us again to take delivery of more of these vehicles that the president can use to alleviate the transportation challenges of the country”.

Also speaking at the event, Derek Ewelukwa, managing director of Jet Motor Company thanked the team for the opportunity to contribute to the delivery of an efficient and comfortable transport model to the citizens of the country.

He explained that each of the hybrid vehicles had two CNG tanks with a combined capacity of 220 litres of gas and capable of doing 300 kilometres, and a petrol tank with a capacity of 80 litres.

According to him, the CNG tanks have a lifespan of 15 years, and the engine switches from gas to petrol and back seamlessly.

Other members of the team from the Finance Ministry include Balarabe Tukui, representing the director of finance and Account; Okeke Osita Gabriel, also a Technical Assistant to the Minister of Finance and Mr Suleman, representing the Director of Legal Services, while Oluwole Akinwunmi represented the Pi-CNG.

Recall that Nigeria’s Finance Minister, Wale Edun, during a visit to the Jet Motor Company plant in Lagos in May assured that the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) of the current administration is on course and that CNG vehicles will soon be rolled out for the benefit of all citizens.

The visit is part of efforts to engage with local producers, re-emphasise the government’s local industry support plans and build a broad-based partnership with key industry leaders towards accelerating the expansion of local capacity, job creation, and economic growth.

JET Motor Company is one of the four companies commissioned by the government of Nigeria to deliver over 200 vehicle units as part of President Tinubu’s Initiative to utilise compressed natural gas vehicles to make mass transit affordable in the face of rising petroleum and diesel costs.