The transport sector, one of the largest consumers of liquid fuel like octane, petrol and diesel, represents a large area where maximizing conservation is possible and realistic. It does not need any foreign exchange. Only some simple rationalization and local study, which is well within our capability, are all that is needed. These simple possibilities are described in the following paragraphs:

Ideal driving speed: This is an awareness that needs to be widespread among all vehicle owners and drivers. Depending on the vehicle's engine capacity and usual loading profile, its best fuel efficiency is around a narrow band of speed.

For passenger cars upto 1500c.c. engine capacity, which are classified as light vehicles, this efficiency range lies between 45 and 55km per hour. For cargo carrying vehicles like vans, light and heavy trucks this ideal speed range can be determined by us. This is a fairly simple experimental study that needs to be done.

Idling fuel loss: This aspect is totally ignored, yet it is a simple and practical area for fuel saving. The variables in this case are also vehicle engine capacity, engine tuning and driver's awareness. It also depends on time and traffic density; and most importantly traffic management by police at intersections. We are familiar with long queues of idling vehicles at Dhaka road-crossings, while the policeman waves a few rickshaws and push- carts to cross over. Maybe even a few cars, leave aside police and flagged cars, are waved across, while the queue of various types of idling motor vehicles may be hundreds of meters long!

The amount of fuel consumed by these idling vehicles is not a factor weighed in the policeman's decision making! Probably the amount of fuel wasted in Dhaka every day by this means alone may be well over a ton! This aspect of fuel conservation is totally dependent on traffic management, and needs awareness and training of traffic policeman to understand and appreciate the potential fuel saving that they can bring about!

Driving training: The concept of ideal driving speeds, and shutting-off of engines rather than idling, needs to be clarified and understood. Many drivers in their ignorance believe that the higher the speed they drive at the more fuel they save! The mere fact of shutting-off engines, if practiced in Dhaka city, can save well over ten tons of petrol daily! Unfortunately, most drivers, even the educated ones, do not realise that stopping and restarting the engine saves more than half the fuel consumed while idling for half a minute!

These simple lessons, if ingrained in drivers and traffic police personnel, can be a good starting point. The government should give all encouragement to NGOs and other civic organizations to take up this programme in earnest.

Further, the state run audiovisual media and the printed pages should drive home these simple ideas to all vehicle owners and operators, somewhat in line with our AIDS awareness program. The money so spent by the government would be recovered ten times over in hard-earned foreign exchange savings! Traffic police personnel need to be retrained to incorporate these ideas in their day-to-day traffic control operation.

BUET may be advised and provided necessary funds to find out the ideal fuel-efficient speed range for some of the popular types and models of buses and trucks, so that the knowledge can be spread across the road transport sector all over Bangladesh.

To sum up, the real need is widespread publicity and awareness. The return on this social investment, in terms of time and recourses, brooks no further delay. The question is: will the authorities take the time and effort to set the ball rolling?

S.A.Mansoor, is Rtd. Director Engineering, Partex Group.