CNG fuel incentives for yellow school bus owners

The company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the PSTATT on October 25, one which NGC CNG said “will cover the incentive that will be valid until December 31, 2018.” Under the MOU, the first 40 drivers who purchase a new OEM CNG vehicle receiveTT $15,000 in fuel for a period of two years. Drivers who convert their existing diesel vehicle to CNG, will receive $7,500 in fuel for a similar term.

NGC CNG noted that diesel/CNG conversions typically have half the natural gas consumption of a gasoline or 100 percent CNG vehicle.

In all, 440 PSTATT members are being targeted and the total outlay for this incentive is $3.6 million.

NGC CNG is “leading a national initiative to switch to CNG from liquid fuel and represents its investment into this market segment to have new CNG users come onboard.” Its President, Curtis Mohammed, speaking at the MOU signing, said the company believes “the public transportation segment is critical to CNG’s nationwide adoption.” “In particular, the schools and young minds connecting with the fact that there are cleaner fuel options will auger well for firmly inculcating the right mind-sets,” Mohammed said.

Public Relations Officer of PSTATT, N’Dale Young, also spoke of the benefits of converting to CNG.

“We are not only able to offer drivers an alternative to price hiking in such a season but in some cases, may even be able to facilitate some reduction; although we are aware that accessing such benefits will require some start-up costs.

The PSTATT is pleased to be a catalyst of the movement to induce the use of cleaner fuel in our public transport system, not only towards the ecological benefits of reducing hydrocarbon emissions, but also to introduce innovative means of sustaining transport costs in an adverse economic climate where the end user (i.e. the parent) usually bears the total burden,” Young stated.

The NGC CNG will now be focusing more on getting drivers to convert their existing vehicles. Mohammed explained that this was the more cost effective option.

“Conversions represent a lower capital outlay for any owner/ user of a vehicle.

From a national perspective, there is less investment required via the conversions route than the new vehicle route. We believe that the new NGV (Natural Gas Vehicle) option is already taking root with the maxi taxis and we expect further growth with the PSTATT,” Mohammed said.

If fully subscribed, 440 PSTATT drivers would represent approximately 50 percent of the total number of vehicles registered to transport school children.

PSTATT’s stated mission is “To provide safe and efficient transportation services through fostering, promoting and fulfilling the needs of parents, students and/or personnel and school bus operators in Trinidad and Tobago.” NGC CNG a subsidiary of NGC, was incorporated in 2013 to accelerate the demand for CNG as an alternate vehicular fuel. In September 2016, the first registered CNG Maxis were launched.