TEAM HERALD

teamherald@herald-goa.com

PANJIM: Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) may shift to environment-friendly Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), if state government okays the Corporation’s proposal which is based on proposed supply of gas from GAIL’s pipeline.

The Corporation has already began working out a plan to convert the existing KTCL buses into CNG as the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) pipeline work is 75 per cent completed in the state and gas would be a much cheaper option.

The move follows successful augmentation of CNG in Delhi’s city transport network thus reducing diesel cost. CNG is cleaner than diesel and gasoline, and brings huge savings to vehicle owners as a kilogram of CNG costs half that of diesel, besides ensuring a better environment.

Speaking to Herald, KTCL Chairman Carlos Almeida said that there would not be any additional investment required to bring CNG to Goa as the state will have its own gas pipeline very shortly.

Pointing that Corporation spends almost Rs 2.50 crore on diesel every month, the Chairman said that CNG is the only way of reducing 50 per cent expenditure on consumption of diesel. “The Corporation is already running in huge loss as its expenditure is much more than its monthly revenues. These eco-friendly buses will prove cost-effective than diesel consumption,” Almeida said.

“Further it will also help in keeping pollution under check,” he said adding that the primary discussion is on with GAIL to study the feasibility of the project. Almeida said that the Corporation also aims to set up special gas stations along all the major city bus stands, for easy availability of CNG.

The Corporation, with a fleet of over 390 buses, had somewhere in 2010 announced its plan of launching eco-friendly buses, but never moved a proposal thereafter.

In 2011, KTCL had inducted 45 new high-tech buses to its fleet, funded under JNNURM scheme.

The low floor 42-seater buses with General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and Global Positioning System (GPS), installed in it, are currently running on state routes.

The Corporation will be also inducting a total of 45 new Tata Marcopolo buses, with investment worth Rs 7 crore in a bid to improve public transport.