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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The Abia State Government is set to launch her first batch of 20-units of electric buses under the Abia Mass Transit Scheme.
Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, who made the disclosure while addressing journalists in Umuahia, the state capital, said the project would make Abia the first state to launch a state-owned electric bus transport scheme in the country.
Kanu informed that the first set of 20 units of electric buses, under the scheme, arrived in the state sometime in November.
“The 40 seat-capacity electric buses were specifically built for Abia State. Another set of 20 buses will be received early in the new year.
“And, as you were informed, not too long ago, as we transit into the new year, the current number of 20 buses will eventually increase to about100 buses in the first phase of the scheme”, Kanu stated.
Throwing more light on the scheme, the Commissioner for Transport, Dr Chimezie Ukaegbu, said the first phase of the electric bus project is a pilot scheme.
The commissioner disclosed that a charging station for the buses would be installed at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia, as an interim charging station. He further disclosed that the buses would provide free rides to commuters during this Yuletide, assuring that this was not in any way meant to take away businesses from the private sector.
“What the government is doing is to de-risk the business, reset the pace, and allow private investors to come in.”
Meanwhile, Prince Kanu has said the state government has placed the state security agencies on 24-hours alert.
This, he said, was to secure life and property of Abians during and after the Yuletide, and called on the people to be vigilant and report suspicious movements to the law enforcement agencies.
