Dual fuel cars to come

In light of the number of vehicles on the country’s roads and the effects of gasoline on the environment, Browne said one thing which Govern-ment may consider in the future is a policy measure ensuring that “all new vehicles imported into the country could be dual or bi-fuel (use gasoline or CNG).” The minister also said the idea of CNG fill-up stations being built in person’s homes was also worth considering but far from becoming a reality. He said those stations require substantial capital costs, some form of State intervention and subsidies.

Noting calls from different quarters of the society for Government to be more efficient in terms of its expenditure, Browne said the number of vehicles on the nation’s roads shows that the “fuel subsidy is going up in smoke.” “There are price signals that have to be sent and those signals have been sent,” the minister added. Stating that consumers must always make wise choices, Browne said: “We have not legislated in terms of what you must do. We have given the alternatives in what you can do.”

The minister explained that research in the 1960’s and 1970’s showed that domestic production of ethanol was unfeasible and the country’s development of gas as a feedstock “in a sense determined our economic path.” Browne said while Trinidad and Tobago’s industrial strength was built on crude oil at the start, it has been “concreted” by the development of natural gas.

“We are beginning again. The first step in a long journey,” he said.