As part of the State Government’s comprehensive mobility plan of Rs.150 crore, announced in the recent budget, 15th August 2017 (Indian Independence Day) saw the launch of three Green Buses in Goa.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar launched the project by taking the first ride on the bus. According to Parrikar, Operating the buses will solely be done by Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL), a state-run body. A pilot project, Goa became the second state in India to have green buses on their roads after Nagpur in Maharashtra.
Type of biofuels used
According to manufacturers – Scania Commercial Vehicles India Private Ltd. MD (Business Unit) Mikael Benje:
“All three Green buses run on biofuels which emit fewer greenhouse gases and cause minimal damage to the environment. Ethanol is the most widely used bio-fuel in the world today and can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90 per cent. Biogas produces up to 84 per cent less greenhouse gases than diesel and can reduce fuel costs by up to 30 percent.”
According to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar:
“The company will be required to maintain the bus for 15 years. The state will only operate the bus and collect the ticket and pay the company on per kilometre basis,” Mr. Parrikar said. “The ticketing would be done through automated system. The bus will have swiping machines. One can enter the bus after swiping the card,” he said.
Other Features
The Green buses are airconditioned and more comfortable than the Kadamba buses. They have automatic doors and are physically disabled friendly as they can accommodate wheel chairs and are easy to board. They will be driven by Scania drivers while the conductors will be from KTCL. What’s more KTC has kept the fare the same.
Benje said that, bio fuel buses have no operational drawback as long as the scheduled maintenance requirements are followed. The State Government intends to have approximately 40 such buses in the state by February 2018.
