Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala transport minister Antony Raju visited Gujarat to study the functioning of Liquified Natural Gas-powered buses operated by the transport corporation of the north-western state.
The minister, along with officials, enquired about the efficiency of the LNG buses with the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC). Diesel engines cost KSRTC a fortune to run. The corporation is looking for alternatives and it has been testing CNG engines as well.
The LNG buses were provided to Gujarat by the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) and a private company. Similar to the CNG experiment in Kerala, GSRTC also replaced its diesel engines with ones powered by LNG.
LNG buses have an average mileage of 5.3 km per kg. It can carry more weight than diesel engines and travel faster. There is less noise and air pollution. GSRTC has decided to convert 1,000 buses to LNG.
KSRTC has decided to send 10 drivers to Gujarat for training. It has also asked GAIL to convert 5 buses to LNG power. Transport secretary Biju Prabhakar will lead the follow-up discussions.
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