PETALING JAYA: Natural gas vehicles (NGVs) were once dubbed the preferred solution to a greener environment and a happier pocket for consumers.
But Malaysian NGV users, particularly taxi drivers, are now facing significant challenges due to inadequate refuelling infrastructure and complex safety requirements.
The use of NGVs in Malaysia saw a peak between 2008 and 2013, particularly for private vehicles, taxis, and buses, due to their cost-effectiveness compared to petrol and diesel.
At its height in 2013, 178 stations provided Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) refuelling across Peninsular Malaysia.
However, since 2015, the demand for NGVs has sharply declined.
This was owing to high installation costs, subsidy cuts, and a shift toward e-hailing services.
By 2020, the number of operational NGV stations had drastically reduced, with only 28 remaining in Selangor and nine in Kuala Lumpur.
As a result, a project to decommission and abandon service pipelines at 35 NGV stations was completed between November 2019 and June 2020 in several areas, including Shah Alam and Kuala Lumpur.
Automotive Accessories Traders Association of Malaysia advisor Tan Choon Yeap pointed out that most NGV users are taxi drivers because the cost is relatively low, but they face long queues at refuelling stations, especially at places like Petronas near KLIA, as the gas supplier does not provide enough infrastructure.
However, he said during periodic technical inspections at Puspakom, tanks must be checked for leakages, which can be quite troublesome.
If the owner neglects to check or change the tank, it poses a higher risk, he added.
Tan also highlighted that “the installation of the tanks has to be Malaysian Standard compliance and subject to inspection”.
Despite these challenges, Tan said he has never heard that NGV vehicles caused an explosion.
