Bus operators who participated in the government-initiated compressed natural gas (CNG) project have appealed to the Department of Energy to closely monitor the operations of the lone CNG refilling station in Laguna.
Anticipating a high volume of passengers, especially during the coming Holy Week, RRCG president Roberto S. Torres said they are hoping that the DOE keep an eye on Pilipinas Shell's daughter station in Mamplasan, Laguna.
"Historically, the daughter station encounters all kinds of problems at times when we need the CNG supply most," Torres said in a statement.
With the continuous increase in prices of diesel and the recent increase in toll fees, bus operators seek a little relief from compressed natural gas, which is priced way lower compared with the current prices of diesel.
Since the start of 2011, prices of petroleum products have risen 11 times which translate to plus P7.50 per liter for gasoline and P7.70 per liter for diesel, bringing diesel prices to within P46 to P47 per liter. CNG is currently sold at P18.38 per kilogram.
In 2004, the government issued Executive Order 290 which paved the way for the implementation of the Natural Gas Vehicle Program for Public Transport. The original target is to have 200 CNG buses plying the Batangas-Manila route by 2006 and 2,000 CNG buses supported by 10 CNG refueling stations by 2007.
There are about 60 CNG buses already in the Philippines, with one daughter station which has been hit with all sorts of troubles since its commencement in 2008.
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