How important are alternate fuels in bringing down pollution?
Introducing alternate fuels per se will not help, unless these are freely available in the market. Right now, alternate fuels have a limited market and will have an effect on only five per cent of the market. But with conventional fuel continuing to cover 95 per cent of the vehicles on the roads, governments must concentrate on improving fuel quality. Thepollution levels can be brought down considerably with good engine technology and better quality fuels. But captive fleet switches to alternate fuels, like public transport buses, should be encouraged. What do you mean by good engine technology? What makes a good engine? A good fuel injection system, a catalytic converter and an electronically controlled engine, will significantly reduce the emission levels by 20-50 per cent. But will that mean an increase in car prices? New technology does not mean an increase in the price of the product. The cost of a vehicle should come down with more and more electronic parts being introduced. Also
