While four of the buses, refurbished to run on LNG, belonged to the MTC and to the Villupuram Transport Corporation, the other two, converted to run on CNG, belonged to the Kumbakonam Transport Corporation.
The government had embarked on the scheme, as per its new environmental policy, to go for natural fuel to reduce emission and had decided to convert 14 buses, two from each of the seven transport corporations in the State, in the first phase on an experimental basis.
The implementation of the government scheme to convert the transport corporation buses, to run on LNG and CNG, is aimed at reducing carbon emission, increasing mileage and to reduce operational cost by 7 % to 20 %.
In the first phase the six buses that were flagged off by the Transport Minister had been refurbished and pressed into service, an official press release said.
As of now MTC operates 20,160 diesel buses incurring a daily expense of Rs 1.76 crore, of which 27 per cent is spent on diesel alone. So the conversion of the buses to run on CNG or LNG will reduce the running cost of the buses, helping the transport corporations cut down expenses.
Of the six buses, launched on trial basis, two belonging to MTC will ply between West Saidapet and Sriperumbudur, the two belonging to Villupuram corporation is to be operated between Kanchipuram and Poonamalee and between Kanchipuram and Vedamangalam in Poonamallee.
The two buses running on CNG, belonging to Kumbakonam transport corporation, will be operated between Ramanathapuram and Periyapatnam and between Ramanathapuram and Sayalkudi.