AP News AP News APSRTC starts CNG busses, reduces air pollution
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| APSRTC starts CNG busses, reduces air pollution |
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The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation
has created history of sorts by introducing the first CNG bus in south
India. It's a new beginning towards more clean air and less pollution. The first CNG bus was flagged off by the Chief Minister YSR Reddy in Hyderabad, but the city will have to wait a while before it can breathe easy. The corporation will have its first fleet of 100 buses on the road by December, but 95 of them will operate in the Vijayawada region because CNG supply as of now is available only in Vijayawada. ''Once filled, it can run 275 km at a stretch. It runs on 12 cylinders,'' said Dinesh Reddy, Managing Director, APSRTC. A CNG bus is about Rs 5 lakh more expensive than a regular diesel bus, but the running costs are up to 30 per cent less. More importantly, there are several environmental benefits of running CNG busses. ''The emissions are much less than even Euro-4 diesel. We are still in Euro 2. So it is much better,'' said R N Rao, Ashok Leyland. The authorities say that the aim is to fully switchover the Delhi-way to CNG buses but the limitation is in the availability of compressed natural gas fuel supply.             |