Representative Image (Reuters)

MUMBAI: The state government has sanctioned the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) a substantial sum of Rs 40 crore for the conversion, infrastructure, and maintenance of vehicles to be operated on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as an alternative fuel.
The bus corporation intends to convert approximately 5,000 diesel buses to LNG-powered vehicles.An MSRTC spokesperson informed TOI on Sunday that the government has issued a Government Resolution (GR), allocating the necessary funds. The spokesperson stated, “The government has provided funds for two LNG buses and for establishing infrastructure at depots for refilling stations and securing the LNG supply. We plan to have the first LNG refuelling outlet at a depot near the Maharashtra-Gujarat border as we are currently obtaining the supply from a Gujarat port. We will progressively set up more outlets for other buses at depots across the state.”
LNG vehicles have 30% lower CO2 emissions and 90% lower PM emissions compared to diesel. The existing diesel vehicles can be retrofitted gradually to utilize LNG, which can provide a driving range of 600-1000 kilometres in a single fill, giving it an advantage over its more well-known equivalent, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). Furthermore, to cater to the demand from 54 lakh daily commuters of MSRTC, work orders were recently issued for the procurement of 2,475 new diesel buses for the fleet. These buses are anticipated to join the fleet within the next three months, according to sources in MSRTC.
Shrirang Barge, the general secretary of Maharashtra ST Karmachari Congress, asserted, “We cannot be complacent with around 2,500 new diesel buses as there is an urgent need for 2,000 additional buses to accommodate the increasing demand, and the fleet size should exceed 20,000 across Maharashtra.”