RTC to switch to green fuel to cut cost: Raju Besides LNG 3,000 buses into CNG in buses, plan to view of the rising price of high-speed diesel. convert 3,000 others into CNG Aid to bus operators TheMinister said the govern- Special Correspondent ment was ready to offer fi- THIRUVANANTHAPURAM nancial assistance to private The Kerala State Road Tran- bus operators if they came sport Corporation (KSRTC) forward to shift to LNG. will launch 400 liquefied nat- On the concerns about re- ural gas (LNG) buses in one fuelling LNG, he said Petro- year if the trial run of the net had been asked to look LNG buses is a success, Tran- into the possibility of setting sport Minister Antony Raju The first LNG bus of the KSRTC ready for its maiden trip to up dispensing units at Aluva, has said. Ernakulam from Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. * S. MAHINSHA Ettumanur, Pappanamcode Flagging off the maiden and Vellarada on the KSRTC service of the LNG-powered fleet’s operational costs and conditioned buses handed premises . bus from Thiruvananthapu- reduce pollution. over by Petronet LNG Limit- KSRTC Chairman and Ma- ram to Ernakulam at the ed to the KSRTC are used for naging Director Biju Prabha- KSRTC Central bus station at Daily service operating the services on a kar and Petronet LNG Limit- Thampanoor here on Mon- The daily services will be on trial basis for three months. ed Vice President Yogananda day, the Minister said the in- the Ernakulam-Thiruvanan- Along with the LNG buses, Reddy signed a memoran- itiative was to switch over to thapuram and Kozhikode-Er- the KSRTC had worked out dum of understanding at the green fuel to bring down the nakulam sectors. Two air- plans to convert another function. .