| Financial Times |
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| LAUGFS to make a significant contribution on fuel issue |
With oil prices rising rapidly, the conversion of vehicles to run on auto gas is to be promoted in a big way by LAUGFS Gas. The Chairman of LAUGFS W.K.H. Wegapitiya told a press conference in Colombo this week that LPG conversion is not only a cleaner solution but it is now almost 50 percent cheaper than petrol.
Mr. Wegapitiya said that within a year the petrol prices had increased from Rs.106 to Rs. 157 per litre whilst the gas prices increased from Rs. 62 to Rs. 80.This has made motorists think twice before they start their engines. He added that it would be advantageous for motorists to convert their vehicles to run with LPG on dual fuel basis.
According to estimates, assuming that one uses 200 litres of petrol per month the saving achieved by running on auto gas over a period of one year is as much as Rs.184,800. “If there was ever a time to convert to auto gas, it is now,” he added.
LAUGFS conversion activities are carried out at four different locations in well equipped workshops with highly trained technical staff. The conversion kit comes with a 10 year warranty on the LP gas tank and a 12 months warranty on the other equipment.
Almost all unleaded petrol-fuelled vehicles can be converted to LPG Autogas at a reasonable cost ranging from about Rs 60,000, depending on the type of vehicle, type of system and options.
Mr. Wegapitiya disclosed that the company has revitalised its LPG auto gas conversions in the island long before the government’s initiative to go ahead with its plan to save oil costs through conversion from petroleum fuel to LPG Auto gas.
The government is considering saving 40 percent of money spent on fuel for three-wheelers by converting them to run on gas. This will reduce the burden on both three-wheeler drivers and commuters due to recent fuel price hike
A sum of Rs 20,000 is needed for the conversion. Transport Minister Dallas Alahapperuma told a meeting of a three-wheel drivers association that the government will grant half of this money at concessionary basis.
Therefore Rs 6 billion would be spent to convert 300,000 three wheelers to gas from petrol. He said that the government has decided to provide this money to three-wheel owners at concessionary basis within the next two weeks. The money will be provided to them in two installments.
Mr. Wegapitiya said that his company Gas Auto Lanka (Pvt) Ltd is willing to extend their support to the government’s initiative to convert three –wheelers to run on gas considering it as a national endeavour. The first motor vehicle to run with LPG on dual fuel basis (International Standard) in Sri Lanka was converted and fixed by GAL technicians in 1994. By 1995 as pioneers of Auto LPG concept GAL had converted 20,000 motor vehicles to the duel fuel system. |
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