PCRA, World Bank conduct fuel conservation study in Chennai

The experiment is expected to reduce fuel consumption in select transport buses by 10-15 per cent

The Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA), Southern Regioin, under the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, is conducting a pilot study on fuel conservation by providing training to the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) drivers, with financial support from the World Bank.

Speaking to the reporters in the sidelines of launch of Oil & Gas Conservation Fortnight, lead by Indian Oil, A Jankiram, chief regional co-ordinator, southern region, PCRA, the effort has been initiated as the only project in the country, in the MTC bus depot at T Nagar, Chennai. As per the plans, the depot, which has 100 bus and 200 bus drivers, has been selected and training to be given to around 12 drivers in the pilot phase, who have been identified by the Corporation to be trained for fuel conservation.

The PCRA has started the programme and will be training the drivers with the module available with it. It is expected that this would help to save 10-15 per cent of the fuel (volume) used by these buses. The World Bank is providing around Rs 2 lakh for the pilot. Jankiram said that while such studies might have been conducted in other parts of the country earlier, at present, this is the only such project in the country.