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CNG buses cheaper, efficient & last longer, insists Gail Gas
Rebuts BMTC’s argument that eco-friendly vehicles cost more
Gail Gas Ltd has issued a point-by-point rebuttal of the objections raised by the BMTC before the state government on inducting CNG buses in its fleet.
Two public sector undertakings — Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and Gail Gas Ltd — are locked in a dispute over running Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses in the city.Gail Gas Ltd has issued a point-by-point rebuttal of the objections raised by the BMTC before the state government on inducting CNG buses in its fleet. The effective running cost of CNG buses is about 20% lower than that of diesel buses, Gail Gas, which is a subsidiary of Gas Authority of India (Gail), stated in its recent power-point presentation to the Infrastructure Development Department.
In a detailed proposal, the BMTC maintained that the operating and maintenance costs of CNG buses are higher than those of diesel buses, and listed several challenges in running them. The BMTC’s arguments shocked Gail Gas which has already set up CNG filling stations in Bengaluru. It is banking on the BMTC to make profit. It has won the contract to supply CNG and Piped Natural Gas (PNG) to Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts.
According to Gail Gas, the BMTC calculated the operating cost by considering the CNG price at Rs 50 per kg, but the actual price is Rs 42.50. It questioned the data obtained by the BMTC from Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) and the Association of State Road Transport Undertakings. The BMTC quoted BEST as saying that the operating cost of CNG vehicles is higher in the longer run. BEST, which has a fleet of 2,970 CNG buses, also informed the BMTC that the mileage of its CNG buses is 2.64 kmpkg on average.
Gail Gas has disputed this claim, saying BEST’s fleet includes many retrofitted buses (CNG engines fitted to normal buses) and that’s why their mileage is poor. It has asked Karnataka to consider the data of Pune Mahanagar Privahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) where the average mileage is 3.75 kmpkg. The PMPML has been operating 574 new CNG buses, Gail Gas said.
Though the capital and maintenance costs of CNG buses are higher than those of diesel buses, the additional cost can be recovered within one-and-a-half-years (250 km per day and 330 days per year), Gail Gas stated.
Gail Gas general manager (projects) Partha Jana said the company had clarified all issues raised by the BMTC. CNG buses are not only cost-effective but also environment-friendly. Various reports have proved that the emission levels of Bharat Stage IV CNG buses are close to Euro IV levels. The company hopes the government will agree to run CNG buses, he added. Wesley Woodyard Womens Jersey
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