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CE okays plan to promote use of CNG in vehicles

ISLAMABAD: Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf has approved a comprehensive plan chalked out to promote the use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in the country.

Official sources told PPI that under the plan, not only the private cars and public transport will be encouraged to convert to CNG, but the vehicles in use of the Federal as well as the provincial governments will also be converted to CNG.

They said the implementation on the plan will not only provide a healthy atmosphere to the people but also cast positive impact on the economy of the country. They said the Chief Executive has not only approved the plan, but has also issued directions for implementation on it.

They said under the Chief Executive, government departments and agencies including the Ministry for Environment, Ministry of Petroleum, Environmental Protection Agency and Hydrocarbon Development Institute have started working on the project.

They said as the plan is based on promotion of CNG, the government has decided to encourage setting up of CNG stations in the private sector, besides establishing its own stations. They said the government will not only issue licenses under a simplified procedure to the people interested in setting up of CNG stations but will also provide loans for the purpose.

They disclosed that under the strategy Hydrocarbon Development Institute has started establishing the first CNG station of Balochistan in Quetta.

Sources said the government-owned vehicles in the centre as well as provinces will gradually be converted to CNG to practically prove that the government is serious in the fight against pollution.

They said in the initial stage, the vehicles in use of Islamabad police and the Environmental Protection Agency have been converted to CNG, while various government institutions including Oil and Gas Development Corporation (OGDC) and Quaid-e-Azam University have been asked to follow the suit.

They said the government is also formulating strategy to ensure availability of CNG in the market at cheaper rates.

They said the Hydrocarbon Development Institute on the directive of the Chief Executive are in the process of studying technical aspects to convert diesel cars, buses and trucks to the CNG.

The government has also decided to gradually convert rikshaws to CNG and an agreement to this effect has been signed between Government of Balochistan and Canada. One rikshaw will shortly be sent to Canada to enable the designing of cylinder and kit in appropriate size and design for rikshaws. PPI