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In the wake of deteriorating air quality in Bihar’s capital, the state capital has directed the schools to do away with diesel-run buses or mini-buses and replace them with vehicles operating on compressed natural gas (CNG). The diesel-run school buses will terminate services from September 1.
The ban will be enforced throughout the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) area and the adjoining Danapur, Khagaul and Phulwari Sharif Nagar Parishad.
Till date, the majority of private schools here have been dependent on a fleet of diesel-run buses or mini buses and there are not more than 10 per cent CNG-run school buses in operation.
The government’s decision to ban diesel-run buses including diesel-run school buses is a sigh of relief for thousands of school going children and their parents, who have been facing the brunt of harmful emissions.
“Our children have no option but to start their day early in the morning with toxic black smoke entering their lungs. Diesel-run school buses should have been replaced with CNG long back, it was already delayed. But we welcome such a ban decision,” Shakuntala Devi, mother of a Class 8th student told Down To Earth (DTE).
Echoing Devi’s sentiments, Manish Singh, father of a Class 4th student, told DTE that his son manifested symptoms of respiratory allergy due to increasing pollution.
“If diesel-run school buses will be replaced with CNG, it will contribute to the good health of countless innocent children like my son,” Singh said.
Multiple research studies by health as well as environment experts have highlighted the harmful impact of diesel emissions from school buses on children.
“The process to convert diesel buses to CNG is ridden with a lack of interest because bus owners are not ready to invest more. We have also requested bus owners to replace diesel buses with CNG for the sake of children's health and environment but they are ignoring it,” the principal of a reputed private school told DTE on the condition of anonymity.
The state government has already phased out all diesel-run auto-rickshaws and buses in Patna.
At present, only CNG-run autos and town buses are plying here. The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has already replaced its diesel-run vehicles with compressed natural CNG. As per Patna district officials, diesel-run auto-rickshaws were banned on April 1, 2021 and diesel-run town buses were banned from September 1, last year in Patna.
According to officials of the transport department here, ban on plying of diesel-run buses was enforced under the provision of section 115 of Motor Vehicles Act 1988.
The government has been providing subsidies under the clean energy scheme to private bus owners for converting their diesel buses to CNG. There are more than three dozen CNG filling stations in Patna as of now. Government officials said the number will double by next year.
Patna District Magistrate Chandrasekhar Singh told DTE that the government will take action against diesel-run buses if found violating the ban.