Inadequate number of CNF filling stations in the city has put around 50,000 CNG-run vehicles in the capital in a great crisis, as there are only 82 CNG filling stations in the city to serve them.

Officials at Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Limited (RPGCL), the state-run company that looks after the CNG sector, apprehended that the filling time could be even more than four hours if new CNG stations are not pressed into operation immediately.

According to RPGCL, the number of CNG-run vehicles in the country by July this year was 76,770, including 43,077 in Dhaka.

Other districts having CNG vehicles included Chittagong 5,049, Gazipur 135, Narayanganj 511, Comilla 466, Feni 80, Sylhet 663 and Bogra 116. There were 274 CNG-run vehicles in Savar.

The CNG-run vehicles are fed by 125 filling stations, including 82 in Dhaka. It means a station on an average has to feed 525 vehicles a day, which is not possible. According to the experts, a filling station can refuel 200-300 vehicles a day.

The demand projections showed that by December this year another 5,000 vehicles would be converted into CNG-run. But, only four more CNG stations will be added by the period.

According to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), at present the capital has 181,397 vehicles. Of those, 146,447 can run by CNG. Only 43,000 of those have been converted.

Officials at the RPGCL said, 700-900 vehicles were converted in a month before 2005, but the number now stood at 2,000. Information gathered from conversion workshops showed that the number of conversion in a month already touched 3,000.

Clean-burning natural gas is an ideal alternative fuel to reduce vehicle pollution and enhance energy security. Natural gas-fueled vehicles emit up to 95 percent less pollution (depending on the pollutant) than their gasoline or diesel counterparts. In addition, natural gas is an abundant natural resource in Bangladesh, providing the capability to significantly enhance our nation's energy security.

An on the spot investigation found that the CNG stations were facing trouble in getting customers even early this year when number of stations was more than enough for feeding the CNG-run vehicles in the capital.

Following the price hike of fuel oils, huge number of people converted their vehicles into CNG-run. But, number of CNG filling stations did not rise in that space, making the vehicles to wait on an average for one-and-half to two hours for refueling.

CNG-autorickshaw driver Habib complained,