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Kolkata: The West Bengal Transport Minister Firhad Hakim at an event organised by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the state’s entire public transport will only comprise up of e-vehicles and CNG vehicles by 2030.Also Read – Kolkata Airport Makes RT-PCR Report Mandatory for Unvaccinated Passengers
Hakim further added, ”Since 2011, plans have been made to create a smart city, a green city in the state. The city has long had an eco-friendly tram and an underground metro. Plans are there to launch electric buses. Already 300 government buses in Kolkata have been converted to CNG. More than 1,000 CNG buses will be launched soon.” Also Read – Kolkata Petrol pumps Protest Against Fuel Price Hike; Stop Sale For 30 Minutes
Earlier, Newtown, a planned area situated on the north-eastern periphery of Kolkata, was recognised as Bangla’s first Green City. The certification comes from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), which is under the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). Also Read – Kolkata Restaurants Run Out of Food After ‘Revenge Dining’ During Durga Puja; Close Eateries Before Time
The West Bengal government has made every possible effort to make the New Town become eco-friendly. The government is also constructing solar panels, separate bicycle tracks, public bicycle sharing systems, green buildings, electric charging stations to make the place eco-friendly.
As reported by Times of India(TOI) Hakim said, “100 electric buses are plying in the city. STUs will be acquiring 1,000 more e-buses shortly, besides the only surviving tram network which has been operational since 1880. Also, 300 STU diesel buses are being converted into dedicated CNG buses.” Ajay Mathur, Director General of International Solar Alliance appreciated the state’s move towards the adoption of cleaner fuel. As reported by TOI, he said, “Adoption of electric vehicles will generate jobs double that of IC engine vehicle manufacturing and it will facilitate higher mobility of women.”
The state aims to run the entire public transport on clean fuel such as electricity, compressed natural gas (CNG), and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by 2030.
