NEW DELHI: Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, has called for governments to actively pursue and promote adoption of green energy such as biofuel, electricity and compressed natural gas (CNG) for public transport services. While speaking at a Webinar, he said that a number of State Road Transport Undertakings (SRTUs) are incurring huge expenditure on conventional fuels. The shift to green fuels will not only be beneficial for the environment but will also save on fuel bills, contribute to the economy and reduce pollution.
Gadkari said that the government is currently spending huge amounts for importing crude oil/hydrocarbons. “The reliance on import of crude oil must be reduced.” Referring to workability of the use of biofuels and other greener fuels, he informed that Nagpur has started to convert 450 buses into biofuel-run vehicles. As many as 90 buses have already been converted so far, he said.
According to an official statement, Gadkari added that loss in bus service is about Rs 60 crore per year, which can be saved by converting buses into CNG-driven models. HE added that efforts are being made for producing CNG from sewage water.
The Minister called for adopting the ‘London Bus model’ harnessing utilisation of private capital for better public transport. Noting that encouraging Public Private Partnership (PPP) may be pursued, Gadkari said that bus ports are being planned with all modern amenities. He suggested that adopting double-decker buses by the operators will also improve the efficiency of public transport.