SSTA procures 7 new buses at N511m to boost inter-state fleet – GM
SSTA procures 7 new buses at N511m to boost inter-state fleet – GM 
From Bashir Rabe Mani, Sokoto
The Sokoto State Transport Authority, (SSTA), has purchased seven new 18-seater Hummer buses at a cost of over N511 million from its Internally Generated Revenue to boost its inter-state fleet.
The General Manager of the Authority, Alhaji Ibrahim Muhammad, addressed newsmen on Monday in Sokoto on the ongoing efforts by the authority to modernize and upgrade its services.
According to the General Manager, each of the 18-seater buses was bought at N73 million, adding, “they will be added to our inter-state fleet.
“Each of the new buses is 18-seater but they will each be carrying sixteen passengers to bolster passenger comfort,” Alhaji Ibrahim Muhammad, added.
He further disclosed that the seven new buses that had since arrived Sokoto would soon be unveiled by Gov. Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto to boost the fleet of the authority.
According to the General Manager, the authority has also ordered three additional buses of similar passenger capacity at the cost of *N219 million*.
Muhammad also said the authority has commenced the conversion of its existing fleet from petrol to Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, to reduce operational cost.
He said the exercise started with the authority’s “Iyaye mata” vehicles for women, and has already been completed and deployed on the road.
The GM explained that the decision to convert the vehicles was driven by the high cost of petrol.
“Out of the 20 vehicles, we started the conversion recently. Each car costs ₦750,000 to convert to CNG.
“The vehicles are six-cylinder engines which consume a lot of fuel,” he said.
“If you buy at least 10 litres of fuel, that is almost ₦15,000 and above, and you cannot even make ₦3,000 a day. That is why most of the drivers are denying to drive the vehicles,” he said.
Muhammad said drivers of the authority’s “Iyaye Mata” vehicles pay ₦2,000 daily from 6am to 6pm, while passengers are charged between ₦150 and ₦300 per trip depending on distance, as part of government’s subsidy.
He added that after the conversion of the ” Iyayevmata” vehicles, the authority will proceed with the conversion of its bigger buses.
The GM expressed optimism that the new buses and the conversion to CNG will reduce cost, improve service delivery and make the authority’s buses more competitive.
Alhaji Ibrahim Muhammad reiterated his unwavering commitment to continue to uphold transparency and accountability in the running of the authority.
“Therefore, I will continue to uphold the trust reposed in me by the state government.”
