Green Bus

Buses running on biofuels in cities like Pune and Kolhapur will soon become a reality if the central government's ambitious `Green Bus' project goes according to plan.
Union minister of road transport and highway Nitin Gadkari has asked the state government to prepare a plan to introduce green buses in Pune and other cities of the sugar belt. He urged the sugar-rich western Maharashtra to make use of ethanol to operate its transport system.
“Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has asked the state administration to work on the plan and urban development officials are studying the Nagpur model where biofuel buses have already been introduced on a pilot basis,“ said a state government official. Last year, Nagpur launched India's first ethanol-run bus in the city. The Centre plans to provide 200-500 ethanol-run buses to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) under the 'Green Bus' project.
Gadkari during his recent visit to Pune directed the state government to think of alternative fuel to run buses. “Pollution levels in cities like Pune are increasing. It is high time we turn to biofuel. Considering the availability of ethanol in the region, the state government must run its buses on biofuel. Buses of the local transport body in Pune can also run on biofuel and even the state transport can run Pune-Kolhapur bus service on alternative fuel,“ Gadkari had stated.He added that the Union government reports pointed out that several state-run transport corporations operating diesel buses are running into huge losses. Gadkari said that the government has also prepared a proposal to introduce electric buses.
Taking a cue from the minister, the state government has started working on a plan and would ask help from the Centre. Pune MP Anil Shirole welcomed the idea and said that biofuel buses will help reduce the pollution levels in the city. “The state and central government are working in tandem and the elected representatives will ensure that the local governing bodies respond to the government's initiative,“ said Shirole. He added that he and other MPs in Pune district will pursue the matter.
The Centre's policy aims to mainstream biofuels, which will in turn play a central role in the energy and transportation sectors of the country . The government wants to accelerate development and promotion of the cultivation, production and use of biofuels as a substitute for petrol and diesel and for use in stationary and other applications. Globally , biodiesel consumption was 22 million tonnes in 2013, while the domestic consumption has been at 0.11 MT from 2009-2014 against a huge demand of 33 MT.
While the government is on fast track mode to introduce green fuel buses, experts have a word of caution. Sunita Narain, director general of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has already warned that biofuels cannot substitute fossil fuels; but they can make a difference, if cities begin to limit the consumption of the latter.
She has insisted that governments should not provide subsidies to grow crops for biofuel, as is being done in the US and Europe, but spend to limit their fuel consumption by reducing the sheer numbers of vehicles on the roads. If this is done, biofuels, which are renewable and emit less greenhouse gases, will make a difference.