50% Fuel Subsidy: P-GAT Targets 2,000 Tricycle Riders in Adamawa

By Yagana Ali, Yola

In a major intervention aimed at cushioning the impact of rising transportation costs, P-GAT Industries Ltd. has unveiled a relief programme targeting 2,000 commercial tricycle riders in Adamawa State, with beneficiaries eligible for up to 50 per cent fuel subsidy.

The initiative, under the ATRaS 2,000 Rider Relief and Welfare Support Program, is expected to commence in Yola, Numan and Mubi, with the company also planning to recruit 500 agents to drive registration, on boarding and grassroots mobilization.

P-GAT said the intervention was designed to ease the financial pressures confronting commercial tricycle operators, whose rising fuel, maintenance and operational costs have contributed to increased transportation fares.

Under the programme, participating riders will have access to up to 50 per cent fuel subsidy, health and medical support, vehicle repair and maintenance assistance, welfare benefits, as well as education and career development opportunities.

The company said the strategy was not merely to encourage operators to reduce fares, but to tackle the underlying costs of running their businesses, thereby improving their earning capacity and creating room for more affordable fares for commuters.

P-GAT said the 500 ATRaS agents to be recruited across Yola, Numan and Mubi would support rider and customer registration, product distribution, on boarding and community mobilization as the programme gathers momentum.

The company also dispelled concerns that the initiative was exclusively for operators of electric tricycles, explaining that owners of existing fuel-powered tricycles could participate in the programme.

According to P-GAT, participating fuel-powered vehicles would progressively transition to electric mobility as the ATRaS ecosystem develops, allowing operators to benefit from the scheme without the immediate financial burden of purchasing new electric tricycles.

The company said the approach was informed by the economic realities facing transport operators, adding that any meaningful attempt to reduce fares must first address the costs incurred by operators.

P-GAT said its ultimate objective was to establish a more affordable, structured and sustainable transportation system, with Adamawa serving as a launch point for expansion across the Northeast and other parts of Nigeria.

The company further disclosed plans to introduce the ATRaS Mobility Ecosystem into other strategic African markets, including Kenya and South Africa.

It said the continental expansion would complement its broader ambition of promoting cleaner transportation, strengthening the economics of commercial mobility and accelerating the transition to electric mobility across Africa.