Panel on heavy duty vehicle fuel economy gets extension

Oil Ministry has given a fourth extension to a high-level committee developing fuel economy norms for heavy-duty vehicles.

The panel, which is to “develop a road map for fuel efficiency norms for heavy duty vehicles in India”, will now submit its report by December 31, according to the ministry’s notification.

With commercial vehicles and buses guzzling more than a third of all diesel consumed in India, the government had in July 2014 constituted a committee under Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, to develop fuel economy norms for heavy-duty vehicles.

Thereafter, it got two three-month extensions.

“In view of growing dependence of the country on import of crude oil and the fact that the highest consumption of diesel is by commercial vehicles i.e 26.75 per cent, followed by 10.75 per cent by buses/state transport undertakings, it has been felt imperative by the Government to define fuel economy norms for heavy duty vehicles in India,” the July 2014 notification said.