Nagpur gets India's first ethanol-run bus

Launching India’s first ethanol-run bus in the city on a pilot basis, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that a Bill to make provision for running vehicles on bio-fuels and hybrid electric would be tabled in Parliament in the next session. Gadkari also said that the country can reduce petrol, diesel and gas imports by at least Rs 2 lakh crore annually by using alternative fuels.

During the launch on Friday, the Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping said the Centre would provide 200-500 ethanol-run buses to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) under the ‘Green Bus’ project.

“The country imports petrol, diesel and gas worth over Rs six lakh crore every year. India can reduce the imports by at least Rs two lakh crore by using alternative fuels. Ethanol-run bus project is the first initiative in this direction. “Four states— Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu— will be the major beneficiaries from the project as they produce ethanol in large quantities,” Gadkari said.