Tanzania CNG: Frustration in queues holding up fuel revolution

Tanzania’s automotive fuel revolution is gathering pace, but a lack of petrol stations means it’s stuck in second gear.

Like Nigeria and some other countries on the continent, Tanzania is starting to adopt compressed natural gas (CNG) as an alternative to petrol and diesel.

It is considered cleaner than fossil fuels and better for the environment, but its relative cheapness is the biggest draw for the roughly 5,000 motorists, especially commercial drivers, who have embraced the switch in the East African state.

This represents a small fraction of Tanzanian cars, but early adopters are setting the stage for wider adoption of CNG – which the government reportedly wants to see almost complete adoption by mid-century.

Tanzania has large gas reserves under the sea, and for those filling it up, CNG can cost less than half its petrol equivalent.

The potential savings were enough to convince taxi owner Samuel Amos Irube to shell out around 1.5 million Tanzanian shillings ($620; £495) to convert his three-wheeler, known locally as a bajaji, to CNG.

But now, having to buy gas twice a day, he spends more time waiting at a gas station in Dar es Salaam, the largest city, than making money.

Tanzania’s mall has only four spots he can fill.

Quietly frustrated, he says he has to wait at least three hours every time he wants to fill up, but the savings are worth it, as he spends just 40% of what he would on equivalent petrol.

Queues of slow-moving vehicles at the Ubungo CNG station line the road. Things are fine – there are three clear lines, one for cars and two for bajajis, but the irritation is palpable.

Medadi Kichungo Ngoma, who has been in line for two hours now, looks at the cars in front of him as he waits next to his silver truck.