Towards ensuring the smooth commencement of Compressed Natural Gas(CNG) enabled state transit buses in the state, the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has disclosed that fueling stations would be positioned along bus routes across the state.

The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun who made this known in an interview with newsmen at the arcade ground of the Governor's office shortly after inspecting the first successfully converted diesel/petrol bus to a Compressed Natural Gas enabled bus, noted that the positioning of the fuel stations for compressed natural gas along bus routes would ensure the sustainability of the project.

Abiodun also added that the abundance of gas in the state is a major factor that would aid the smooth transition.

The Governor who also added that the conversation of other buses are currently going on in the state, said that his administration is currently looking at how to convert close to 2000 buses at the expense of the state government.

"Obviously as we proceed, we will be positioning our fueling centers on the bus routes, conveniently located so that the buses can refill from time to time.

" Luckily for us in Ogun State, we have an abundant of gas, Ogun State has a criss cross of pipelines, be it Elps, be it West Africa gas pipeline, that explains why we have a proliferation of industries in Ogun State.

" So today, this bus has been successfully converted, the conversion of other buses are also in progress, the plan is to first convert the state owned buses and then begin the conversation of all mass transit buses that are even owned by the private sector.

" We will be converting the buses at our expense, if we don't do that, the owners of the buses will not be able to afford the cost of the conversion, so the state has decided to take on that cost and find a way to amortize the expense over so many years.

" We are already thinking of how many gangs we need to have and how quickly we can complete the conversion of close to maybe 2000 buses in the state," he said.

Governor Abiodun also added that his administration would in the next three weeks launch it's E-mobility program.

" Alongside with that,within the next two to three weeks, we will be launching our E-mobility program, which is a program that aims to swap all our petrol dependent motorcycles and tricycles with electricity powered ones that would powered by batteries that are rechargeable.

" In another one month, you will begin to see more of electricity powered motorcycles and tricycles in our state, this way, gradually, over the next three to four months, our people can begin to enjoy being moved from one point to another at fares that obtained before deregulation," he said.

On some of the buses within the state that are not so new, Governor Abiodun noted that the old buses would be gradually faced out as they get older.

" This is a journey, the ultimate aim is to have buses that will be powered by electricity, however, we appreciate the fact that we have buses that are relatively new.

" We have commercial buses out there that may not be so new, but are still road worthy, we cannot just wake up one day and scrap all those buses, we must transit from those buses that are currently burning diesel and petrol to those that would be powered by electricity.

" The plan is we convert the current ones to use gas and we now begin to gradually face them out, as they age, we face them out and replace them with electric powered buses, whilst we role out the required infrastructure that they would require, charging stations and uninterrupted power supply," he said.

Earlier in his remarks, the head of the team, Nigeria Gas Transportation Solution Limited; Milind Dakhole who disclosed that the buses have been fitted with tanks that would allow them to travel about 150 kilometers, noted that the buses are safe for usage.