AG&P Pratham Enables First CNG Run Private Bus Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
AG&P Pratham, a leading player in the Indian City Gas Distribution (CGD) industry, has enabled eco-friendly and economical private CNG-run bus services in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The first tranche of the new CNG fleet comprising of two CNG buses was delivered to Sheryl John, Managing Partner, Rohit Travels in the presence of dignitaries such as Padmanabhan, General Manager, Kuttikat Motors; Babukuttan, Sales Executive, Kuttikat Motors; Srinath Kumar and Akhilesh Krishnan from AG&P Pratham.

Speaking on the development, Ranjith Ramakrishnan, Regional Head, Kerala, AG&P Pratham said, “We sincerely thank Rohit Travels for their path-breaking initiative in including CNG buses in their fleet & Kuttikat Motors for their valuable support in facilitating this transition towards a cleaner and environmental friendly fuel in the state of Kerala. AG&P Pratham’s network of CNG stations will provide uninterrupted and affordable access to natural gas which is a cleaner substitute for traditional fuels.”

The new CNG private buses, Eicher 2075H CNG, with a seating capacity of 32+1 people each, are expected to have a running cost of about Rs. 8.75/Km, which results in savings of about 40% on running costs, compared to their equivalent models on other fuels. To incentivize customers to shift to CNG, AG&P Pratham has launched a scheme to provide free fuel worth Rs. 25,000 per bus to the bus owners who are inducting CNG buses in their fleet.

Shifting from using traditional fuel to CNG in public transport, especially in buses and other commercial vehicles, significantly helps enhance the air quality in urban, semi-urban and rural areas. CNG-run buses and commercial vehicles help operators in reducing running and maintenance costs, which result in a faster payback on investments in the transport sector. In addition, these buses will also have significantly lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to conventional models. Significantly, Kerala Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has taken the initiative of reducing GHG emissions by switching some buses in its fleet to CNG which will also help KSRTC reduce its operational costs on these buses substantially.

AG&P has already set up 8 CNG dispensing outlets in the Districts of Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram and the number of outlets will grow to 18 by March, 2022 and 70 by March, 2023. Aligning with the Government’s vision of facilitating the adoption of safer, greener, and smarter fuels to promote sustainable mobility, AG&P Pratham’s stations will provide all vehicles – including cars, auto-rickshaws, and heavy-duty transit vehicles such as buses and trucks with access to CNG. The adoption of CNG offers compelling economic benefits to vehicle owners and helps combat overall ambient pollution and ultimately, helps the country in moving towards energy sufficiency and transforming into a gas-based economy. CNG has the strongest safety record, because of its non-toxic and lighter-than-air quality that causes it to evaporate and reduce the risk of fire.