THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala has become the first state to launch the trial run of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) bus in the country. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan flagged off the first pilot run of the LNG-fuelled bus here on Tuesday.
Pradhan complimented the state for leading the initiative to adopt environment-friendly fuel. “LNG pipeline will be a game changer for Kerala economy. LNG is 40 per cent cheaper than diesel and is important for Kerala, where the world comes to breathe,” said Pradhan. The Chief Minister said the entire fleet of KSRTC will be using compressed natural gas (CNG) in the next five years. The state will also invest in improving water transport to reduce pollution.
Transport Minister A K Saseendran hailed LNG as the silver star for state road transport corporations in the coming years. The first CNG-run bus was also unveiled at the venue where the Group of Ministers (GoM) holding transport portfolios convened here on Tuesday.
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) has already released the draft notification for use of LNG as an automotive fuel. The final notification is expected to be released soon. Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO) has formed an expert committee to form regulations for installation of LNG fuel tank and dispensing stations.