Discontent is brewing among private bus operators in the city, since the State and Central governments have not stepped in with help, although the number of private buses operating in the Greater Kochi region has fallen from 1,000 to 200, and no governmental help is forthcoming for them to retrofit CNG kits.
Their common refrain is that the conversion process involves expenditure to the tune of ₹4 lakh, which is not affordable for most bus operators, although it is a financially viable proposition and causes less air and sound pollution.
For the first time in the city, two buses operated by Josco Motors that were retrofitted with CNG kits imported from Argentina are getting ready to begin service in a week, on the Aluva-Thripunithura and Vyttila-Vyttila circular routes. Yet another bus was driven all the way to New Delhi to install the kit. The bus began service a week ago.
The advantages include a difference of approximately ₹18 between the cost of a litre of diesel and a kg of CNG. Besides, CNG is more fuel efficient, while its contribution to air and sound pollution is less, bus operators said.
“Sadly, the State government, which pays up massive losses incurred by the KSRTC, is unwilling to help private buses retrofit CNG kits. This despite 90% of the fleet in Kochi keen to shift to CNG, considering the sky-rocketing operational cost and fall in patronage,” said George Joseph of Josco Motors. “Agencies like the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Board [KIIFB] are providing funds to the KSRTC at 4% interest. This must be extended to private bus operators too. A 30% subsidy to retrofit CNG kits too will help, since the entire world is shifting to green mobility. I am keen to convert the rest of my buses to CNG if government help is forthcoming. The technology has proven successful in New Delhi and Mumbai,” he added.
Mr. Joseph’s buses are awaiting endorsement of the fuel-mode change in their RC books and insurance documents. An operational problem facing CNG buses is that nozzles tailor-made for heavy vehicles are available only at two CNG retail outlets in Kochi.
Yet another bus operator, Nisar Karukapadath, said most owners were unwilling to spend ₹4 lakh from their kitty, since none is willing to risk the amount during the pandemic period, and the lifespan of buses has been fixed at 15 years. “It is tough to recover the cost, unless the government subsidises the retrofitting process,” he added.
KSRTC keen to run CNG buses
Responding to the demand from bus operators to subsidise the CNG kit retrofitting process, Minister for Transport A.K. Saseendran said the KSRTC was keen to operate CNG/LNG buses. “The government is not in a position to extend subsidy to private buses, since the Environment Ministry does not have a scheme in this regard, unlike for e-mobility. There has been no concerted demand from bus operators either,” he added.
The two CNG buses which are slated to begin service in a week in Kochi, retrofitted the kits at a firm at Pathadipalam near Edappally.
Diesel costs ₹75 a litre, while a kg of CNG costs ₹56. A bus that travels 250 km a day can save approximately ₹1,200. Besides, fuel efficiency improves by 20%. The retrofitting cost can thus be recovered in 36 months. At least 400 private bus operators have enquired with us about the process. Government help will catalyse the process, said Geo John Palatty, of Metro Fuels which did the retrofitting.
Air pollution too comes down, since the emission of hydrocarbons is lesser. Cities like Mumbai have made it mandatory that buses older than a specific age must be converted to CNG, he said.