Moily urges people to use bikes and buses in drive to save fuel

Moily urges people to use bikes and buses in drive to save fuel

mangaloretoday.com

New Delhi, Sept 24: Petroleum Minister M. Veerappa Moily unveiled a fuel conservation campaign on Tuesday, including measures such as staggered office timings for government employees to decongest traffic, staffers taking public transport to work at least once a week, and encouraging the use of cycles.

 

"I have written to Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, asking him to consider ’staggered office timings’ for Government offices, which will help in decongesting road traffic during peak hours,’’ he said at a press conference here.

While there is no evidence of his Ministry’s fortnightly fuel conservation drive every year actually denting demand, Moily claimed that this year the campaign would save as much as $5 billion in the country’s oil import Bill.



Every year the Petroleum Conservation Research Association (under Oil Ministry) does an awareness campaign for a fortnight at a cost of Rs 20 crore.

Moily said that this year would feature a mega campaign at more than double the cost.

He also asked Urban Development Minister to introduce a "free cycle scheme’’ in select cities to save fuel, and offered funding support from oil sector companies.

Moily has asked Chief Ministers, central ministries and public sector heads to declare one day of the week as ’bus day’ during which staffers be encouraged to utilise only public transport for their daily commute.

Moily was earlier widely criticised his plans to shut petrol stations at night in a bid to curb demand, a plan that has been quietly dropped.

India spent a staggering $ 44.3 billion last fiscal on importing crude oil which is the single biggest item that contributes to the country’s huge current account deficit.