The chief executive and programme director of the Presidential CNG Initiative (PCNG-i) , Michael Oluwagbemi, has inspected the scene of the unfortunate explosion at Karu Bridge in Abuja, alongside officials of the Nigeria Midstream, Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), who were at the scene to conduct their own investigations.
Oluwagbemi, while commiserating with the victims of the accident and their relatives, also called for more safety awareness and adherence to safety protocols at accident scenes. He also called for better monitoring of articulated trucks for brake safety and compliance with maintenance requirements while ensuring a proper licensing regime for commercial drivers that require both safety and evacuation training.
Further to its preliminary findings and its call for patience for authorities to get to the root cause of the accident, the PCNG-i reiterated the intrinsic safety of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles and enjoined all stakeholders to work towards a better monitored gas vehicle ecosystem with the proposed launch of the Nigerian Gas Vehicle Monitoring System (NGVMS).
To this end, PCNG-i was committed to the continued safety of Nigerian road users as it promotes alternative sources of energy that is cheaper, safer and more reliable for the economic development of the nation.
