BMTC to lease 200 CNG buses

The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will soon lease 200 CNG buses.

The government has sanctioned funds to the BMTC to lease  1,500 buses, including 200 CNG vehicles, the corporation's  managing director V Ponnuraj told DH.  The buses will be hired  as per the demand, he added.

During a presentation at  a  recent meeting of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) council, a BMTC official said: "There are 6,390 buses in the BMTC fleet,  belonging to BS-II, BS-III and BS-IV engines. We are planning to add 3,150 BS-IV buses and scrap all the 11-year-old  BS-II buses to reduce  pollution."

According to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), transport vehicles, public as well as  private, contribute 42% to the city's pollution.  

On December 20, 2017, this newspaper  reported how the BMTC submitted  to the  National Green Tribunal's Chennai bench that CNG fuel stations in Bengaluru were not operational, though the ground reality is different.  

In 2016,  Gail Gas Ltd  operationalised  CNG fuel stations in BMTC depots  at Sumanahalli, Peenya and Hennur. The fourth station is located at Beggars' Colony, off Magadi Road.