Commuters in Delta State may have to wait until January 2027 for relief from high transportation costs, as the state government says 50 new buses are expected to arrive to improve public transportation.
The Commissioner for Transport, Onoriode Agofure, disclosed this on Wednesday during an interview after presenting his ministry’s 2027 budget at the inter-ministerial budget defence organised by the Ministry of Economic Planning in Asaba.
Agofure attributed the delay in reducing transportation costs to challenges affecting the delivery of the buses, including the global crisis, but assured residents that the government remained committed to making transportation more affordable.
He said the buses were expected to arrive on or before January, adding that the government was also expanding facilities for Compressed Natural Gas-powered vehicles.
“Fifty buses are on their way, and we expect them to arrive on or before January. We are also opening more CNG conversion centres and changing stations. More enforcement cameras are coming to bring sanity to our roads,” he said.
The commissioner explained that the delay had affected the earlier expectation of reducing transportation costs by October 1, but expressed confidence that the new buses would help address the problem.
“Transportation costs will come down. There was a delay in the arrival of the buses because of the crisis in the world. That caused some delays, but we have been able to move past those challenges.
“We are confident that the buses will arrive soon, and transportation costs will eventually come down,” he added.
Agofure also disclosed that the ministry had established three CNG stations in partnership with the private sector, saying the initiative could reduce transportation costs for commuters by between 40 and 50 per cent.
He said the government was working to expand the facilities to enable more commercial transport operators to convert their vehicles to gas-powered engines.
On complaints about the activities of task forces on roads across the state, the commissioner said some of the enforcement teams were not under the supervision of his ministry.
He identified the Vehicle Inspection Unit and the ministry’s traffic enforcement unit as the task forces directly under his control, explaining that some others were operated by local government authorities.
Agofure, however, said the ministry was aware of complaints about unauthorised task forces and would work to remove those operating illegally from the roads.
Assessing the ministry’s performance in 2026, the commissioner rated its achievements at 70 per cent, describing the performance as an A.
He also disclosed that the state had constructed more than 50 jetties to improve water transportation and connect riverine communities with land-based transport services.
He listed the Cable Point jetty in Asaba and the Omadino jetty among the projects, adding that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori had directed the construction of another jetty at Odidi following an oil spill incident in the area.
