November 3, 2026. Between September 24 and November 3, a total of 1,825 vehicles across the country were converted to run on compressed natural gas (CNG) under the Patria National Vehicle Renewal Program.
According to information released by the Ministry of Public Works, Services, and Housing, 680 vehicles were converted in Santa Cruz; 552 in Cochabamba; 444 in La Paz and El Alto; 85 in Oruro; 58 in Sucre; and six in Potosí.
Leonardo Velarde, Director of the Patria Vehicle Renewal Executing Entity (EERV-Patria), reported that the conversion process is also moving forward in other regions, such as Tarija, where the first minibuses have already entered the workshops.
“The conversion process is quite fast now, as regulations have been streamlined to expedite procurement,” he noted.
In recent weeks, the Minister of Public Works, Services, and Housing, Mauricio Zamora, reiterated that the program provides support to transport operators for converting their vehicles to CNG, ensuring that this does not affect public transport fares.
“We must protect people’s pockets, in addition to other credit options we are exploring for transport operators,” he added.
Zamora also recalled that President Rodrigo Paz fulfilled a commitment made to the transport sector by classifying automotive transport under the productive credit category, as established by Supreme Decree 5739.
To facilitate these CNG conversions, Velarde stated that 15,000 third- and fifth-generation conversion kits have been acquired. Some of this equipment arrived at the border two days ago and will be distributed to the workshops in a couple of weeks, while the rest will arrive between now and February 2027.
