In exactly two weeks, 35 compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered buses will begin operating throughout Trinidad. The launch is set for December 3 and is a major part in the Government's thrust to reduce the fuel subsidy bill by encouraging a move to CNG.
In a telephone interview on Tuesday, Carl Ramdeo, the deputy general manager of marketing and communications at state-owned Public Transport Service Company (PTSC), told the Business Guardian that the buses rationalisation committee of PTSC will determine where the buses are deployed. He noted, however, that it will depend on where the buses can receive the fuel.
"We will be having fueling facilities in Port-of-Spain, San Fernando and Sangre Grande so that will determine where the buses can be deployed."
Ramdeo explained that the PTSC will have access to its CNG station which is almost completed. This is located at its compound in Port-of-Spain, while at San Fernando it is considering using a mobile refueling station.
"We have to figure out the best way to refuel the buses in South until we are able to build our own station. We have been told if one of the buses works on the Port-of-Spain to San Fernando route it can make six turnarounds before it needs refuelling."
Ramdeo said PTSC had a pilot project with three buses that were converted to CNG and those buses proved it was much cheaper and efficient to use the CNG-powered vehicles as opposed to diesel. He estimates that it costs $400 to full a diesel-powered bus while it's less than $100 to fill one of the CNG buses.
In addition, Ramdeo said the cleaner fuel resulted in less maintenance of the buses and, importantly, less emissions.
Five articulated, 15 regular large and 15 medium-sized buses have been purchased from the Chinese company Sun Long at a price of $38 million and two engineers are expected in the country to work with our engineers.
The acting president of NGC CNG Company, Curtis Mohammed, said the roll out of the buses was part of the company's strategy to significantly increase the number of CNG vehicles on the road.
He explained: "The goal is to get at least one in every five vehicles being powered by CNG. As you know, we are specifically encouraging those in the transportation business to switch to CNG and these buses will show the switch is a viable alternative."
Mohammed admitted that there were challenges particularly in terms of ensuring there were sufficient stations and that motorists feel comfortable filling their vehicles with CNG with the same efficiency as with regular fuel.
"We need to ensure we do this right and we can say to people: here is an alternative. It is a cleaner and cheaper burning fuel and it's an option. Once we put all the elements in place, then it is for the market to determine how many people make the switch," Mohammed said.
He said the move away from gasoline and diesel will reduce the burden of government's fuel subsidy while, at the same time, allowing for the export of additional fuel.
He said, thus far, the CNG company has been doing a lot of "back-of-the-mind advertising" to allow people to digest that there will be an option that is cleaner and cheaper.
If one fifth of the vehicle population converted to CNG, this would require approximately 45mmscf/d of natural gas.