A bus picks up passengers (Photo: VNA)HCM City (VNA) - HCM City might not achieve its target ofbuying more than 800 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses by the end of the year,according to the Public Transport Management and Operation Centre.
Tran Chi Trung, director of the centre, said the city has 2,575 operatingpublic buses, most of which have been operating for more than 10 years.
Under a project to replace the old buses between 2014 and 2017, the city askedthe centre to seek investors for 1,680 new buses.
The centre has replaced only 839 buses, or 50 percent of the target, of which 256are CNG-fueled buses, accounting for 12 percent of the new buses, while theother buses use diesel fuel.
Trung said the centre should buy more than 800 new CNG buses by the year-endunder a new city regulation that requires all new buses use CNG beginning thisyear.
He said the target is difficult to achieve as the cost of buying CNG buses is 33percent higher than diesel-fueled buses.
In addition, the supply and price of CNG is now heavily dependent on PV GasSouth Company.
Construction of CNG stations is costly as they require more space, he said,adding that the Petrol Group is researching this problem to propose solutions.
CNG buses, however, bring economic and environmental benefits, including savingsof 23 percent of energy compared to buses using diesel.
Total emissions from CNG buses in HCM City have fallen by nearly 14,000 tonnesper year compared to buses that use diesel.
Truong Trung Kien, head of the Urban Department under HCM City’s Council, hasasked the centre to continue to conduct research on the use of CNG buses in thefuture.
While waiting for assistance from the city government, the centre needs toencourage residents to use public buses and limit the use of private vehicles toreduce traffic congestion, he said.
CNG is methane stored at a high pressure. It is used in place of petrol, dieselfuel and propane, and emits less environmentally unhealthy gases than the otherthree.
CNG buses operate on Route 33, which connects university campuses in Thu Duc districtand An Sương Terminal in the outlying district of Hoc Mon.-VNA
Tran Chi Trung, director of the centre, said the city has 2,575 operatingpublic buses, most of which have been operating for more than 10 years.
Under a project to replace the old buses between 2014 and 2017, the city askedthe centre to seek investors for 1,680 new buses.
The centre has replaced only 839 buses, or 50 percent of the target, of which 256are CNG-fueled buses, accounting for 12 percent of the new buses, while theother buses use diesel fuel.
Trung said the centre should buy more than 800 new CNG buses by the year-endunder a new city regulation that requires all new buses use CNG beginning thisyear.
He said the target is difficult to achieve as the cost of buying CNG buses is 33percent higher than diesel-fueled buses.
In addition, the supply and price of CNG is now heavily dependent on PV GasSouth Company.
Construction of CNG stations is costly as they require more space, he said,adding that the Petrol Group is researching this problem to propose solutions.
CNG buses, however, bring economic and environmental benefits, including savingsof 23 percent of energy compared to buses using diesel.
Total emissions from CNG buses in HCM City have fallen by nearly 14,000 tonnesper year compared to buses that use diesel.
Truong Trung Kien, head of the Urban Department under HCM City’s Council, hasasked the centre to continue to conduct research on the use of CNG buses in thefuture.
While waiting for assistance from the city government, the centre needs toencourage residents to use public buses and limit the use of private vehicles toreduce traffic congestion, he said.
CNG is methane stored at a high pressure. It is used in place of petrol, dieselfuel and propane, and emits less environmentally unhealthy gases than the otherthree.
CNG buses operate on Route 33, which connects university campuses in Thu Duc districtand An Sương Terminal in the outlying district of Hoc Mon.-VNA
VNA
