BENGALURU: If you can spot a BMTC or KSRTC bus that is causing a lot of pollution, you can not only have it removed from service, but also earn a reward of `1,000.
As part of an initiative by the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) to go green, citizens have been asked to identify and report such buses.
A KSRTC official said, ”This year, three buses have been identified by citizens and they have been rewarded as promised. We will continue the drive in 15 districts in the state, including Bengaluru, and hope it helps us become more public- and environment-friendly.”
BMTC officials say more than 10 buses were reported in 2015. “If a bus is found to be emitting a large amount of smoke, the public can bring it to our notice by calling our helpline. The operation of the bus will be stopped immediately, if it is found to emit more than 65 Hartridge Smoke Units (HSU),” said an official.
“The carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and promethium emitted by the buses have a huge impact on the environment. Our aim is to replace all such buses,” the official added.
BMTC Seeks Biofuel
In a pilot project, 135 BMTC buses will have 20 per cent of biodiesel likely from June 10. BMTC’s environment engineer Usha said, “We have asked for 2,40,000 litres of biodiesel which will be sufficient for six months.”
KSRTC buses
Ten biodiesel buses were introduced last year. During the trial period, blended fuel with 20 per cent bio-diesel was used. By replacing 5,000 litres of diesel with biodiesel for one month, KSRTC officials claim to have prevented the emission of 7,650 kg of carbon dioxide and reduced the emission of promethium by 40-50%.