Starting Monday, owners of three-wheelers and four-wheelers in Bengaluru can convert their automobiles into Compressed Natural Gas-powered vehicles.
The Transport department has finally accorded permission to open CNG kit-installation centres (also called retrofitment centres) in Bengaluru. Mumbai-based Lovato Autogas, which has obtained the permission, will begin installation of CNG kits to private three-wheelers and four-wheelers at its centre in Kanakanagar, on KHB road near RT Nagar, from Monday, a company representative said.
Transport commissioner M K Aiyappa said he has issued direction to the regional transport authorities to clear applications for opening CNG kit-installation centres in Bengaluru. Directions have been issued to ensure that the companies that have obtained dealership in this regard comply with all safety standards, he added.
Another CNG kit supplier company based in Thane, Care Cylinders, will also open its centre soon. Though Gail Gas Ltd, which is a Government of India undertaking, commissioned CNG refilling station near Beggars’ Colony, off Magadi Road about three months ago, CNG kit-installation centres were not available, sources in the department said. For, the Transport department was sitting on applications seeking permission for many months. The applications were submitted around May last year. Currently, only about 50 four-wheelers that are registered in other states are running on CNG in Bengaluru, sources added.
However, the state government is yet to take a call on a Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s (BMTC) proposal to buy CNG buses. The detailed proposal to buy 200 buses was submitted in December 2015. The BMTC has in its proposal claimed that the operating and the maintenance costs of CNG buses are more compared to diesel buses and listed out a number of challenges in operating them.
Gail Gas officials recently informed Union Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation D V Sadananda Gowda that the company is incurring loss due to delay on the part of BMTC in inducting CNG buses in Bengaluru. Gowda, who was holding a meeting to review progress of infrastructure projects, however, refused to interfere in the issue. Instead, he advised Gail Gas to sort it out with the state government.
Kit cost varies as per vehicle
CNG, which is considered green fuel, can be used for only three-wheelers and four-wheelers by using a CNG kit. The approximate cost of a kit for a three-wheeler is about
Rs 18,000, while it is about Rs 49,000 for a four-wheeler. For light commercial vehicles, heavy commercial vehicles, light motor vehicles and buses, the cost is about is 2.5 lakh each. The cost depends on the engine’s capacity. Gail Gas has fixed Rs 44 per kg of CNG, sources said.
Greenfuel, finally
Transport dept has given permission to run the centre after a long delay
Lovato Autogas has opened CNG kit installation centre at Kanakanagar near RT Nagar
Another company, Care Cylinders, will open its centre soon