FG Commissions Electric Buses For Civil Servants

The federal government has commissioned 37 electric buses as the first phase of its plan to deploy 100 buses under the Renewed Hope Mass Transit Programme for federal civil servants.

The buses were unveiled on Wednesday, at the Eagle Square, Abuja, as part of efforts to ease transportation challenges, reduce commuting costs and improve the welfare and productivity of government workers.

Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, described the initiative as a major intervention in improving the working conditions of civil servants.

The commissioning is coming less than 24 hours before the end of her tenure, with Walson-Jack describing the project as her “parting gift” to federal civil servants.

“What we have here is 37 buses, being the first instalment of the 100 electric buses,” she said.

According to her, transportation remains a major factor affecting workers’ finances, safety, punctuality and productivity.

Read Also:

“For many civil servants, the daily commute shapes their finances, their safety, their punctuality, and ultimately their productivity,” she said.

Walson-Jack said the programme would help workers save money, reduce commuting risks and arrive at their workplaces with greater energy to deliver effective public service.

She disclosed that the buses would initially operate on selected routes under a pilot phase before the programme is fully rolled out.

She added that the buses would eventually be deployed to the federal secretariats across the states, adding that “a special purpose vehicle has been established to ensure their proper management, maintenance and long-term sustainability.”

Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, John Enoh, said the project goes beyond transportation, describing it as a combination of workers’ welfare, productivity, industrialisation and technology.

Enoh said each of the 100 electric buses could accommodate up to 200 passengers and travel a minimum of 200 kilometres on a full charge.

He commended the National Automotive Design and Development Council and other stakeholders involved in the project, urging local manufacturers to establish factories, deepen local content and produce globally competitive electric vehicles.

The minister said the federal government remained committed to ensuring that its economic reforms translated into industrial growth, job creation, infrastructure development and improved living standards.

Also speaking, the Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council, Olu Osanipin, said the initial deployment marked the beginning of a phased rollout.

Osanipin said the full complement of 100 electric buses was expected to be deployed by December 2026.

The programme is expected to provide federal civil servants with more affordable and reliable transportation while supporting the federal government’s push for cleaner mobility and greater local participation in the automotive industry.