The West Bengal Government is working on a package for private bus operators to switch from diesel to compressed natural gas (CNG). The move is part of the state’s initiative to stand by the bus operators who are struggling to cope with the increasing diesel prices and diminishing returns. Private bus operators have been demanding a fare revision for some time because of declining revenue amid the pandemic.
Under the package, the state government will help private bus operators switch to the CNG mode by offering them incentives indirectly so that their burden is partly taken care of. Earlier, the West Bengal Transport Corporation has signed an agreement with the Bengal Gas Company Limited, a joint venture of GAIL (India) and the Greater Calcutta Gas Supply Corporation Limited, to supply CNG to bus depots. The first refill station will be operational at the Kasba depot by December 2021.