Lanre Shittu Motors unveils CNG buses, mobile refilling facility

Lanre Shittu Motors, an Indigenous automaker, has unveiled a locally assembled 100 percent compressed natural gas-powered buses in Nigeria.

The company also says it is willing to support those buying a large fleet including state governments with the installation of mobile CNG stations across different locations.

Taiwo Shittu, managing director of Lanre Shittu Motors, told journalists in Lagos on Monday, that the CNG vehicles are being assembled at the Amuwo Odofin assembly plant in Lagos.

He said 100 units of the buses coming in two specifications would be introduced in the first phase to support President Bola Tinubu’s CNG initiative of easing public transportation and cushioning the effects of fuel subsidy removal.

On his part, Joseph Osanipin, director general of the National Automotive Design and Development Council, expressed delight with the initiative.

He said buyers don’t need to bother about the cost of conversion because the vehicles are already factory-fitted.

“Those that need 100 percent CNG buses are mainly the commercial transporters. We at the NADDC are working with LSM to test-run it. LSM will provide the expertise while Pi-CNG (Presidential CNG Initiative) will provide the necessary support and NADDC will ensure the training of people that will handle it,” he said.

On the new CNG vehicles, the LSM boss said while the first bus, a 31-seater, would be deployed for the intra-airport shuttle, the second spec, a 54-seater also accommodating 25 persons standing, would serve as a mass transit city bus.

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“We are the first to have full CNG vehicles for sale, others are converted engines or hybrid. Any state that is really interested in saving costs should be talking to us. We have two specifications, one for airport shuttle, and the other for mass transit city bus,” he explained.

Taiwo Shittu also said the city bus was built with seven cylinders and could travel for 450-500 kilometres before recharge.

According to him, the airport bus, also built with seven CNG cylinders, has a lot of space for boxes and two wheelchairs like the city bus.

“They all have charging stations. While on the move, you can charge your phones. The bus is air-conditioned, durable and installed with viewing screens,” he added.

He said that the LSM-branded CNG bus would guarantee a complete 70 percent reduction in operation costs.

“For instance, while the CNG costs N200-N230/kg, diesel is sold from N1,200 to N1,400/litre, depending on the state you are buying from.

“While some drivers have the habit of siphoning fuel from a vehicle for the purposes of selling or using it elsewhere, this cannot happen with CNG. The money saved could be utilised to solve other vital problems including paying workers’ increased salary based on approved new minimum wage.”

Lukman Shittu, deputy managing director of the company, said the company was willing to install mobile CNG stations across different locations, especially for large fleet buyers.

“We can deploy mobile CNG stations across different locations; we can install for people around their locations,” he said.

He explained that the company had also embarked on the training of its workers in the CNG technology using its technical partners.

“We have technical partners. They have trained our workers. We have the expertise; we are going to Ekiti State with the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) to train people in CNG technology. We are also going to other states.

“We have the parts. We are not only concerned about our buses, we are also interested in helping the government in any way we can to make this CNG initiative a reality. The important thing is how to save cost on transportation in Nigeria,” he said.