Lagos Motorists Lament Long Queues At CNG Refiling Points

Lagos motorists have lamented exhausting queues at Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) refiling stations in the state, even as labour leaders blamed the long queue and non-availability of the gas on the government’s fire-brigade approach to issues of national interests.

They maintained that the five newly-commissioned CNG refiling points in Lagos are inadequate to serve the state with a population estimated to be over 20 million.

A top union leader, Comrade Shehu Mukaila who described the newly five CNG as good move in the right direction maintained that, “unless there are price control mechanisms which federal government should spell out to union leaders, the efforts of both federal and state governments to reduce transportation fares for passengers would not be addressed.

“Many commercial drivers are out to exploit the general public. Provision of CNG should be strictly monitored so as to force drivers to cut down the fares. What I think is needed is governments to collaborate with transport union leaders to make reduction of fare possible.”

Another respondent, a passenger along Ikeja to Yaba, who simply gave his name of Mohammed said, “We have many unpatriotic people, mostly among commercial bus drivers who despite use of cheap CNG are hiking the cost of their transport fares. Imagine calling Yaba from Ikeja by Computer Village between N800 and N1000, which is outrageous.

‘’They are making transportation unaffordable for commuters. If the government truly wants to address the challenges, all commercial vehicles should be made to reduce the cost of transportation.”

LEADERSHIP Weekend on Friday also learnt that many Intra-state traveler, motorists were stranded due scarcity of CNG.

Cross sections of the passengers were seen lamenting over the delay they are going through due to non-available of CNG to power the buses that would convey them to their destinations.

Lamenting over  the delay, one of the passengers, Adebayo said, “Can you imagine at 12.40noon,  that we are still stranded since 6am when we left Lagos State to Osogbo, our bus suddenly veered into NIPCO CNG without prior notice, now, it is yet to get to his turn to be refilled”.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP Weekend, Seun, a driver seen on the queue, lamented the loss of sum of income they normally face when they encounter such delays, saying the amount they are to deliver to the owners of the vehicles is usually depleted.

Having spent many hours on queue without any hope of getting to his turn due to many vehicles at his front, he said the unexpected hiccups will affect his work for the day.