BMTC to pilot CNG in Bengaluru
03:30PM Sun 4 Oct, 2015
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Bengaluru
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BMTC to pilot CNG in Bengaluru
Updated: October 4, 2015 09:25 IST | Avinash Bhat
HYDERABAD, 16/07/2007: A view of the first CNG-driven APSRTC bus that was flagged off by the Chief Minister from the Assembly in Hyderabad on July 16, 2007. Photo: P.V. Sivakumar | THE HINDU
NEW DELHI, 06/11/2007: The new low-floor eco-friendly CNG bus of Delhi Transport Corporation, A fleet of eleven buses were flagged off by the Chief Minister in New Delhi on November 06, 2007. Photo: V. Sudershan | The HIndu
NEW DELHI, 04/11/2009: Commuters board a Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus after the hiked ticket fares, as the minimum fare of Rs. 3 for up to four kilometres has been increased to Rs. 5, while the Rs. 7 and Rs. 10 tickets have been increased to Rs. 10 and Rs. 15, and cost of students pass has been increased to Rs. 100 from Rs. 12.50, The DTC, which runs the world's largest fleet of CNG buses, had incurred a total loss of over 1,222 crore in the financial year 2007-08, in New Delhi, on November 04, 2009. Photo: V. V. Krishnan | V_V_Krishnan
5 to 10 new CNG buses will be introduced, and public response and emissions will be studied.
Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation will study the feasibility of converting its fleet to environmentally friendly option of CNG buses.
The BMTC’s green initiative, a pilot project, will be started along with a study by the Center for Infrastructure, Sustainable Transportation and Urban Planning (CISTUP) on how effective CNG gas is in mitigating air pollution. Sources say that under the pilot project, 5 to 10 new buses will be introduced and public response and emissions will be studied.
While the Dhabol-Bidadi gas pipeline has brought Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to Bengaluru two years ago, BMTC is also in talks with the Union government to decide on specifications for acquiring 271 CNG buses. Currently, the debate in transportation sector is about cost-effective specifications, which would not burn a hole in the loss-making public transport utility’s pockets.
Sources said that a low-floored CNG bus could cost around Rs. 80 to Rs. 85 lakh and this is being seen as too expensive. “We are now discussing specifications for normal floored buses that would be cheaper,” an official said.
In order to be able to effect the changeover of its fleet to CNG smoothly, the transport utility has also allotted land for GAIL, the gas company, to lay pipelines for supplying CNG to four strategically located depots across the city. “There is also one more spot where joint inspections have been held and we have allotted land. The deal is almost firmed up,” a senior official said.
-The Hindu
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