The Czech Gas Association (CGA) reports the share of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) new bus registrations in the country has risen from 10 to 26 percent, after analysis of 2015 figures. 355 new CNG buses were registered last year out of a total 1,350 new registrations. The outcome marks a significant strengthening of the alt-fuel market in the Czech Republic, especially when compared to the 102 new CNG buses registered in 2014.
“There are 880 CNG buses in operation for urban and suburban transportation today,” explains Jiri Simek, Vice-Chairman of the Council of the CGA. Overall, registrations of new buses increased over the previous year by 27.24% (from 1,061 units to 1,350 units), majorly impacted by CNG buses.
Subsidies are in place to replace the ageing fleet of diesel buses with particle-free CNG buses. “However, some carriers such as ČSAD Tišnov and others today are buying CNG buses even without subsidies, and even then they are benefitting from cost savings and also save the environment,” says Simek. “We try to accommodate transport companies and we are pleased that the number of CNG buses in cities is increasingly growing. Businesses with 30 CNG buses save over ten million crowns (USD > 400k) per year,” says Jiri Simek.
(Source: CGA)
