Pakistan, Lahore

OGRA to cover initiatives at upcoming ANGVA 2007 conference in Thailand

Authorities in Pakistan have commenced a crackdown against illegal conversions of vehicles to compressed natural gas (CNG), following instructions issued by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) to provincial governments. OGRA has teamed up with police and district government officials to clamp down on illegal conversions, which have resulted in unsafe installations on private vehicles.

The program has commenced in Lahore, in the Punjab Province, where most of the countries natural gas vehicles operate. The state has more than 800 CNG refueling outlet. Mr Muazzam Hussain Ch., Head of the CNG Department at OGRA, says that due to licensing requirements, the refueling stations are operating with applicable permits but that roadside and backyard conversion workshops have to date proved hard to prevent.

The problem has been so bad, that some illegal operators have even been installing CNG cylinders on the roofs of light duty vehicles. Vehicle owners caught driving with CNG cylinders on their roof may also be subject to legal action.

The program is being initiated throughout the country with the cooperation of provincial and district governments in Punjab, Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan.

Mr Hussain will be representing OGRA at the upcoming ANGVA 2007 Conference and Exhibition in Bangkok, Thailand this November. As well as presenting a country report on Pakistan, he will also be representing the authority at an Industry Forum on the issue of natural gas vehicle safety and standards.