Barely 48-hours after CM Manohar Parrikar announced that the State of Goa would have a ‘bulk' of the state's public transport being run on fuel from Goa's garbage treatment plants within an ambitious target of two years, the Governor of Goa has flagged off three buses on a trial basis to be operated by Scania as KTC buses.
Undoubtedly the intention of the government is a welcome move from a sustainability as well as environmental point of view. Parrikar's goal, if achieved, in the time frame that he has promised would represent making Goa among the top cities across the world, and not just India at having being able to accomplish this.
Goa's public transport sector may need a change to a cleaner fuel, but it also needs much more than that. In fact, when Parrikar announced that ‘a bulk of Goa's transportation system will be run by biogas generated from garbage,' Goans would have to be forgiven for asking: "What public transport system?"
A much larger chunk of Goa's public transport system is managed by private bus operators who are a law unto themselves and asking them to either abandon their business or buy new, expensive buses and that too over the next two years should be considered as impossible. Getting the state run KTC to phase out their buses might be the low hanging fruit, but then the KTC certainly does not represent a ‘bulk' of Goa's public transport system and any achievement should be seen in that light.
Besides this, as KTC Chairman, Carlos Almeida concedes, the gas from the garbage plants needs to be refined and enriched before it can be used as a reliable fuel for buses for which a separate plant would have to be set up. Add to the fact that the Goa government doesn't exactly have a public transport record to be proud of. The latest CAG report highlighting the plight of the KTC is a prime example. The problem, as always, lies in the fact that it is easier said than done. It will be worth remembering that Parrikar is only the latest of several CMs to have promised to revamp the state's transportation sector.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is still early into his government and his first budget has already promised to formulate and implement a comprehensive mobility plan for extensive connectivity across the State through KTC which he intends to utilize in addition to regular buses, hybrid and electric buses for intra-city transportation. Under this project five major cities will be connected to the main tourist spots through regular city bus service costing Rs 150 crores during the coming financial year.
So far nothing has even moved in that regard, much like the taxi issue -- the other vexed public transport issue. A change of fuel will have little tangible benefit to Goans unless the public transport system is revamped.
Undoubtedly the intention of the government is a welcome move from a sustainability as well as environmental point of view. Parrikar's goal, if achieved, in the time frame that he has promised would represent making Goa among the top cities across the world, and not just India at having being able to accomplish this.
Goa's public transport sector may need a change to a cleaner fuel, but it also needs much more than that. In fact, when Parrikar announced that ‘a bulk of Goa's transportation system will be run by biogas generated from garbage,' Goans would have to be forgiven for asking: "What public transport system?"
A much larger chunk of Goa's public transport system is managed by private bus operators who are a law unto themselves and asking them to either abandon their business or buy new, expensive buses and that too over the next two years should be considered as impossible. Getting the state run KTC to phase out their buses might be the low hanging fruit, but then the KTC certainly does not represent a ‘bulk' of Goa's public transport system and any achievement should be seen in that light.
Besides this, as KTC Chairman, Carlos Almeida concedes, the gas from the garbage plants needs to be refined and enriched before it can be used as a reliable fuel for buses for which a separate plant would have to be set up. Add to the fact that the Goa government doesn't exactly have a public transport record to be proud of. The latest CAG report highlighting the plight of the KTC is a prime example. The problem, as always, lies in the fact that it is easier said than done. It will be worth remembering that Parrikar is only the latest of several CMs to have promised to revamp the state's transportation sector.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is still early into his government and his first budget has already promised to formulate and implement a comprehensive mobility plan for extensive connectivity across the State through KTC which he intends to utilize in addition to regular buses, hybrid and electric buses for intra-city transportation. Under this project five major cities will be connected to the main tourist spots through regular city bus service costing Rs 150 crores during the coming financial year.
So far nothing has even moved in that regard, much like the taxi issue -- the other vexed public transport issue. A change of fuel will have little tangible benefit to Goans unless the public transport system is revamped.
