Govt. ready to allow LPG use in vehicles

By S.Rajendran

BANGALORE, AUG. 10. The State Government is gearing up to introduce use of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) for motor vehicles, in Bangalore city to begin with, to check the high level of pollution which has touched alarming levels.

The authorities have, however, ruled out running motor vehicles using compressed natural gas (CNG) as it has been done in New Delhi. There is no supply of CNG in Bangalore, and supply on a large-scale as required by a large number of motor vehicles would be difficult unless a dedicated CNG pipeline was made available to the State.

Sources in the Government told The Hindu that the authorities would not like to be caught unawares, more so, with environmentalists and even the common people being agitated over the high level of pollution in some of the arterial roads and traffic intersections in Bangalore. However, even if the authorities introduced it straightaway, it would take at least a few more months before LPG use in motor vehicles became popular.

The Minister for Transport, Mr. C.R.Sageer Ahmed, who has been monitoring LPG-run vehicles in the State, said here on Friday that the Government was awaiting the orders of the Union Ministry of Food and Civil Supplies under whose jurisdiction was the sale of bottled LPG. On receipt of directions, the Government would commence groundwork for permitting LPG use in motor vehicles.

It was not that there were no gas-run motor vehicles in the State. As per a reasonable estimation, there were at least 10,000 such vehicles but they were illegal as they were fitted with gas conversion kits which had not been certified.

The Union Government, following the approval of Parliament some time ago, recently cleared the use of LPG by motor vehicles. The Ministry of Surface Transport issued amendments to the Central Motor Vehicle Rules and thereafter requested the Ministry of Food and Civil Supplies to coordinate in the matter as LPG was under the latter's purview.

The Commissioner for Transport, Mr. T.Thimme Gowda, said that a meeting of manufacturers of gas conversion kits and distributors and dealers of gas refills would be convened shortly to specify to them the need to strictly adhere to the safety regulations prescribed by the Union Government.

The Transport Department would thereafter ensure that the rules were complied with. While there were eight manufacturers of gas conversion kits, there were 10 authorised distributors of gas refills. There was also a gas bottling plant for motor vehicles, which came up recently in Koramangala, he said.

According to Mr. Ahmed, the shape of the gas bottles to be used in vehicles is yet to be decided. While the present one was cylindrical, the view was that it should be rectangular to ensure safety. Further, it was to be decided whether it should be placed horizontally or vertically in vehicles. ``We have to consult experts in this matter,'' he said.

The Directorate of Explosives at Nagpur was at present monitoring the introduction of gas conversion kits for motor vehicles.

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Section  : Southern States
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