Kochi: The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Heavy Industries to run CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) buses in Kochi city on a pilot basis even as the Indian Oil Corporation plans to set up its first natural gas dispensing unit in the city by September this year.
On Friday, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy mentioned the initiative in the state budget, in which '20 crore has been provided to the Corporation for the purchase of energy-efficient hi-tech buses and another '20 crore for infrastructure development.
“We are already working on the project and the government including it in the budget is a big boost. We have submitted a request to the Heavy Industries Ministry to place an order for a CNG-cum-Battery Operated Hybrid bus that would cost Rs 3.15 crore. Further we have asked for CNG buses for a trial run on a temporary basis,” said R. Sudhakaran, general manager, KSRTC.
“Availability of CNG fuel is the biggest factor and for this, we are holding talks with the Indian Oil Corporation, which is implementing the City Gas distribution project along with the Adani Group,” he said.
Meanwhile, a senior official of the Indian Oil Corporation said the first of the CNG “dispensing units” in Kochi would be set up at Kalamassery by September this year. “We are looking at the 2.5 acre land owned by FACT at Kalamassery and talks are progressing in this regard,” he said.
