UP to buy 100 CNG buses

Continuing its efforts to upgrade its existing transport infrastructure in the state, the UP State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) will purchase 100 CNG buses at Rs 55.80 crore to restart its city bus service in Agra.

The company officials held a meeting with the Taj Trepezium Zone Authority in Agra last week to discuss the financial aspects of this project and to finalise a time-frame for its implementation.

Talking to Business Standard after the meeting, Umesh Sinha, managing director, UPSRTC, said the corporation had run a city bus service in Agra a few years back but the diesel buses produced a lot of sulphurous fumes and were not environment"�friendly, which was the main consideration in the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ).

According to Sinha, CNG buses, being a lot more expensive than normal diesel buses, could cost the corporation around Rs 20 crore and the supporting infrastructure, including the upgrade of the workshops to handle CNG bus servicing and the construction of three new bus terminals for these buses, could cost another Rs 30.80 crore.

He said compared to ordinary buses, city-buses would be custom-made to provide a seat capacity for 45 passengers while the aisles between the seats will also be broadened from 35 to 80 cm, keeping in mind that the buses were intended to be operated in the city, where a lot of passengers travelled standing.

He said these 100 buses were to be introduced only for in-city operations in the first phase of the operations and in the second and third phases another 400 buses could be introduced to run on the roads connecting Agra to its suburbs and the towns within the operational range of 225 kilometers, for which, another 80 crores would need to be spent by the company.

He said the corporation had entered into talks with the Gas Authority of India Ltd (Gail) to establish three mother stations in the UPSRTC bus terminals at Transport Nagar, Foundry Nagar and Idgah. These three terminals will also cater for the CNG needs of the auto-rickshaws and private vehicle owners.

He said city bus operations could only begin after Gail established its mother stations to fuel the buses, which was expected to be completed around December this year and accordingly, UPSRTC had set a tentative date of January 1, 2006, to begin its services in Agra.

He said the UPSRTC had also tied up with an English newspaper group to distribute newspapers on its premium routes.