The government plans to lodge an appeal with the High Court seeking three years time for CNG conversion of all state-owned vehicles instead of a six-month period set by it.

Official sources said the extended time for the conversion of petrol and octane-run vehicles would be sought, given all technical aspects and reality.

The conversion into compressed natural gas (CNG) depends on availability of kits and capacity of the workshop for transformation. Next comes the availability of CNG for refilling.

After 17 years of monopoly by RPGCL, which converted 1,700 out of the 2,600 vehicles, now both the conversion and refilling stations have been opened for the private sector.

Rupantarita Prakritik Gas

Company Limited, a subsidiary of Petrobangla, can convert 18 vehicles a day. However, now the conversion remains suspended momentarily for want of kits.

On the other hand, private Southern Automobiles and Navana each can convert four to eight vehicles a day. The Bangladesh-China joint venture CDC also converts vehicles although it does not have the permission, officials said.

But neither government nor any private organisation works for conversion of diesel-run vehicles due to high cost and absence of its technology.

Conversion is taking place however slowly, in the country, but the experience of the converted vehicles sometimes is not good due to scarcity of CNG and inadequate number of refilling stations.

At present, there are only six CNG refilling stations. Of them, four are run by the RPGCL and two by

CDC. Officials said one station can feed 300 to 400 vehicles a day.

As the government plans to make its vehicles environmentfriendly CNG-run six more stations will be set up by 2003 through floating tenders. Some 1,000 vehicles will be converted by this time.

By the year 2004, officials said, the government plans to set up 18 more CNG refilling stations mainly on the highways and convert another 5,000 vehicles.

This plan apart a Tk 345 crore five-year (2002-2006) CNG project is under consideration. It will be funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Under the project, 10,000 vehicles will be converted, while 200 CNG-run buses and 2,000 four-stroke baby-taxis will be bought. Also developed will be twenty-six refilling stations.