Lagos Bars New Diesel Buses from Regulated Fleet, Mandates CNG, Electric Vehicles

Sunday Ehigiator

The Lagos State Government has stopped admitting new diesel-powered buses into its regulated public transport system, directing operators to deploy compressed natural gas (CNG) or electric vehicles as it begins gradually replacing its diesel fleet.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Mrs. Abimbola Akinajo, disclosed the measure while speaking to journalists at the handover of 20 additional high-capacity CNG buses under the Presidential Initiative on CNG and EV.

Akinajo said the policy, effective since the beginning of 2026, formed part of efforts to reduce transport emissions and contain operating costs, which have risen sharply following increases in diesel prices.“We will only work with CNG or EV buses, and this has been the policy since the beginning of the year,” she said.

She explained that existing diesel buses would be progressively replaced with CNG and electric alternatives, with the regulated system ultimately expected to operate an entirely electric fleet. According to her, transportation remains a major source of emissions, making the transition central to Lagos’ commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

Before receiving the additional vehicles, LAMATA had about 150 CNG buses in its fleet, alongside high-capacity and medium-capacity electric buses.The latest addition will strengthen the CNG fleet, with some of the vehicles potentially assigned to the Ikorodu–Tafawa Balewa Square corridor to meet high passenger demand.

Beyond environmental considerations, Akinajo said the transition was helping operators absorb rising fuel costs and limit the pressure for fare increases.She said diesel prices climbed from about N950 per litre at the beginning of the year to between N1,950 and N2,100 per litre, depending on the source, substantially increasing the cost of running diesel-powered buses.“Regulated public transport fares have not increased, and these buses have helped us achieve that,” she said. Akinajo explained that the lower operating costs of CNG and electric buses had enabled the authority to manage fuel expenses without passing the full increase on to commuters.

She added that LAMATA already had an operating framework for CNG buses and was working with private-sector partners, including Ibile Oil & Gas, to sustain fuel supply.Private investment in CNG infrastructure was also expanding across Lagos, she said, with additional refuelling stations being developed to support the growing fleet. The transition builds on the Lagos State Transport Policy, which targets clean-energy propulsion for 52 per cent of Bus Rapid Transit buses by 2050.

The policy identifies gas and electricity as alternatives to reduce transport emissions and provides for procuring cleaner vehicles, designated priority routes, and cleaner-fuel strategies across public transport modes.It also envisages greater use of biodiesel in freight vehicles, while new buses acquired by Lagos Bus Services Limited and private operators are expected to run on gas.

At the federal level, the push towards CNG and electric vehicles is intended to reduce transport costs and expand access to alternative fuels.President Bola Tinubu said state governors had agreed to use the lower operating costs of alternative-energy vehicles to bring down fares.