KSRTC to launch Kerala’s first LNG bus service today

KOCHI: Minister for Transports Antony Raju will flag off Kerala’s first LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) bus service operated by Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) on Monday at a function at KSRTC central bus station at Thampanoor in Trivandrum, according to official sources.

The first service will operate between Thampanoor and Kochi. The Lng-powered bus service is launched at a time when petrol/diesel prices are hiting the roof with every passing day.

The ambitious goal to switch over to green fuel will bring down fleet’s operational cost and reduce pollution.

The Transport minister said the feedback of commuters, the bus crew and the mechanical staff will be collected by KSRTC during trials in three months. The KSRTC hopes to bring down the fuel bill by converting the fleet into LNG and CNG.

The daily services will be in the ErnakulamTrivandrum-ernakulam and Kozhikode-ernakulamKozhikode sectors.

KSRTC will operate the services on trial basis for three months using the two air-conditioned buses handed over by the Petronet LNG Limited.

Technical and economic feasibility studies were already conducted during three months ater taking temporary permit for the bus. The KSRTC has already issued order to convert 400 diesel powered buses into LNG, according to reports.

According to the current schedule, the service from Ernakulam begins at 5am and will reach Trivandrum at 11.15am.

The return service from 2pm from Trivandrum will arrive at Ernakulam at 8.15pm. The service from Ernakulam at 6.30am will reach Kozhikode at 12.30 noon and the return service at 2.30pm will reach Ernakulam at 8.20pm.

Plans are afoot to conduct trial run of the LNG powered buses in the hilly regions of Munnar with a load of six tonnes in the bus ater the one month’s trial run. LNG buses are not suitable for hilly regions, it is generally believed.

Conversion of a diesel bus to liquefied natural gas will involve an expenditure of Rs25 lakh for the Corporation, initially.