By Sakirudeen Bashiru
Following the Ogun State Government’s creation of an opportunity for free training on the installation processes of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles, beneficiaries are now undergoing the calibration stage of vehicle conversion in the State.
The Assistant Manager of CNG Conversion, Nigerian Gas and Transport Solutions Limited, Prem Roka, at the State Government mechanic workshop, Quarry Road, Abeokuta, stated that the students participating in the latest training session were gaining hands-on experience with the CNG-3 calibration system. noting that the training focused on configuring the system for seamless, automatic switching between petrol and CNG.
He pointed out that, a key feature of the CNG-3 system is automatic switching. “When a vehicle runs out of CNG, it automatically switches to petrol without any manual intervention, ensuring uninterrupted driving,” he explained.
Prem added that trainees were also learning about the manual switching option, which involves a simple dashboard switch that would allow drivers to toggle between petrol and CNG as needed.
In his remarks, the Director of Vehicle Inspection Services (VIS) at the Ministry of Transportation, Engr. Olugboyega Ademehin, who represented the Ministry’s Commissioner, Engr. Olugbenga Dairo, affirmed that the training was timely, as trainers who have completed modules on CNG components, installations, link-checks, and now calibration were certified.
He added that the trainees, who were already trained automobile technicians, would be able to assist in installing and repairing both CNG conversion systems and petrol vehicles after completing the calibration stage across the State.
In his reaction, one of the beneficiaries of the training, Mr. Osunkoya Babatunde, appreciated the government for providing access to the free training. He recalled that trainees were drawn from various geopolitical zones of the State, saying this would help make CNG conversion service stations available for patronage.
On his part, Adebayo Nojeem, whose commercial car was converted and calibrated, lauded the government for the transparency and free service delivery to citizens. He noted that these gestures were significant, especially at a time when the high price of premium motor spirit had made the transportation business not too encouraging.
He appealed to the State Government to establish more refilling CNG Stations across the nooks and crannies of the state, as this would encourage more people to adopt the conversion.
