Pune: As part of the energy management programme under the Ministry of Petroleum, Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) conducted a petroleum fuel efficiency project at two of its depots from October 2018.
In the last seven months, the transport body has saved about Rs 20 lakh in fuel expenditure due to the savings caused by improving mechanisms and training its drivers. The programme, called Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), aims to improve fuel efficiency in the depots by training its drivers and maintenance staff and improving the health of the buses.
“In this context, Katraj and Market Yard depots of PMPML have been selected for this study by PCRA, which operates under the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas. The study by PCRA commenced from October 2018 and is right now in progress. While the project is likely to continue till the end of October 2019, the results are already encouraging and both depots have reported substantial savings in terms of fuel consumption per month till May 2019,” said PMPML spokesperson Subhash Gaikwad.
The officials said the fuel savings from improved efficiency at Market Yard depot has been pegged at Rs 11 lakh while that at Katraj depot is close to Rs 9 lakh between October 2018 and May 2019.
PCRA is an organisation under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gases (MoP&NG) and the programme is supported by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs. PCRA is engaged in promoting energy efficiency in various sectors, including transport. It acts as a think tank to the Union government for proposing policies and strategies on petroleum conservation and environment protection aimed at reducing excessive dependence on oil. The team which plans and executes the project includes transport experts as well as a retired senior officer from state transport corporation.
