CHENNAI: The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has suspended the operation of two LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) retrofitted buses plying between West Saidapet and Sriperumbudur after a fire destroyed a CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) bus at Adyar on Tuesday.
Sources said that two LNG buses plying on route 553 had been suspended for inspection. They were part of the 6 LNG/CNG buses flagged off by Transport Minister SS Sivasankar belonging to MTC, TNSTC Villupuram and TNSTC Kumbakonam.
TNSTC Villupuram had operated 2 LNG retrofitted buses from Kancheepuram to Poonamallee while the TNSTC Kumbakonam operated two CNG buses. However, officials of TNSTC Villupuram and Kumbakonam said that they would continue to operate retrofitted buses on a trial basis.
On Tuesday, an MTC bus that plies from Broadway to Siruseri (102) and converted to run on CNG, caught fire on LB Road in Adyar. After noticing smoke from the engine, the driver halted the vehicle and deboarded the passengers. Fire destroyed the bus.
It was retrofitted with a CNG kit by Chennai Auto Gas through the sponsorship of Torrent Gas and has been plying in the city since June 28. Sources said that a committee was formed to find out the reason for the fire.
TNSTC Enthusiasts, a coalition of public transport enthusiasts and commuters, urged the State government to check the reliability of CNG retrofitted diesel buses. It said that it was one of the new refurbished buses.