Will any bus use the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) that is expected to be supplied from March?
In 2014, the State government had announced that 271 CNG buses was going to be procured under the now-scrapped Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) says three CNG stations will come up in Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) depots to cater to the anticipated demand. Talking to The Hindu on the sidelines of Invest Karnataka on Wednesday, GAIL CEO Pankaj Kumar Pal said the stations at Peenya, Summanahalli and Hennur depots would be functional by March-end.
At the time of building the depots, the BMTC had assured that the process of procuring 200 CNG buses was underway, said officials. But now, officials say the process has been put on hold. Senior officials said they are deterred by the high cost. Each CNG bus costs Rs. 84 lakh, more than double that of a diesel bus – a price difference the loss-making BMTC cannot afford, said officials.
GAIL, however, will press ahead with its plan. Mr. Pal said, “It is a chicken and egg situation. If I do not put up the station, then the buses will not come. We cannot wait. We will keep the infrastructure ready.”
