DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 2 -- ASK any driver in Dar es Salaam about the price of fuel and you will hear the same sigh. Petrol and diesel are eating into pockets that were already thin.

A taxi driver summed it up well when he told me, “If I make about 100,000/- in a day, nearly 40,000/- goes back to the pump.” Then he smiled when asked about Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). “With gas, I only spend 20,000/-. I take more home.

It feels lighter.” That one story captures the heart of the debate. Can CNG really ease the cost of living in Tanzania? The numbers suggest it can. Studies show that switching from petrol to CNG cuts fuel costs by as much as 79 per cent. For many drivers, the money spent converting a car pays itself ...