The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) in Pune is making a major move to combat rising diesel prices and environmental issues by converting their diesel-powered buses to CNG. This decision comes as a response to the increasing fuel costs and shortages faced by the MSRTC, as well as the need to address environmental concerns.
In the first phase of this initiative, a total of 132 buses across four depots in the Pune division have been successfully converted to CNG. These depots include Shirur, Rajgurunagar, Baramati, and Saswad. With the Pune division comprising 14 depots and serving a large number of passengers daily, this conversion is essential for ensuring smooth transportation for education, employment, business, and tourism.
Many of the buses in the MSRTC fleet are aging, leading to higher fuel costs and financial challenges. To address this, the MSRTC is focusing on acquiring new electric buses and converting existing diesel buses to CNG. The conversion to CNG is expected to significantly reduce operating costs for the MSRTC and improve the environmental impact of their fleet.
Plans are in place to convert all diesel buses in the Pune division to CNG within the next year. Currently, the Pune MSRTC division operates over 800 buses, with approximately 500 older buses set to undergo conversion to CNG. Separate CNG pump installations are being established at key depots, with completion expected in the next two to three months.
Pramod Nehul, Divisional Controller of Pune Division, MSRTC, expressed the importance of this initiative, stating, “Due to the rising cost of diesel and environmental concerns, we are converting all diesel buses to CNG. Currently, 132 buses from four depots have been successfully converted to CNG.” The breakdown of buses converted by depot includes 50 in Shirur, 42 in Rajgurunagar, 30 in Baramati, and 10 in Saswad, totaling 132 buses in the first phase of the conversion.
Thanks For Reading Report of Punepress.com