Buses run on LPG in Indonesian fuel trial
Buses run on LPG in Indonesian fuel trial
JAKARTA (JP): A supplier of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is
conducting a three-month trial run with the first bus ever to use
LPG in Indonesia.
Chris Sulisto, president of PT Otogas Karya Pratama, said that
while the hundreds of cars have been converted in Jakarta and a
few in Bali, the bus is the first diesel-fueled vehicle to use
LPG.
"Until recently, people thought it was impossible to convert a
diesel-fueled car to be LPG fueled," he said.
The government has been encouraging the use of alternative
energy for public transportation to implement its recent "blue
sky campaign" to reduce air pollution.
The use of LPG, Chris said, reduces not only air and sound
pollution but also maintenance costs.
He said the bus' fuel tank is capable of storing up to 240
liters of gas (80 percent), enabling it to cover a distance of
576 kilometers.
To ensure the passengers' safety, the LPG tank is made eight
times thicker than an ordinary gasoline tank.
If it proves effective, he said, the Ministry of
Transportation, to which the bus belongs, has agreed to use LPG,
which will go on the market under the name otogas, more widely.
"Perhaps the ministry will encourage other government agencies
to follow suit," he added.
Chris admitted that the conversion of diesel-fueled vehicles
is still costly, ranging from Rp 10 million for new cars to Rp 20
million for older ones.
"We already have our own garage and staff to do the work, but
we still have to import the spare parts," he said, adding that
efforts have been made to lower the price to between Rp 7 million
and Rp 9 million.
Noting that the Citra taxi company has recently converted 750
cabs, four other cab companies have also converted several of
theirs. Chris said more taxies would use gas fuel if there were
more LPG filling stations.
"Right now we only have four, one in Bali and the rest are in
Jakarta," he said, "but by January 1997 we will operate 21
filling stations in all districts of Jakarta."
The company has invested Rp 2.5 billion on every filling
station. (04)