Briefing reporters here at the launch of two buses to be used on the Calcutta-Dhaka route, Ashok Leyland officials said CNG buses have already hit Mumbai's roads and will be operating in Delhi by the first week of June.

West Bengal's transport minister Subhas Chakraborty was bowled over by the two luxury buses handed over by the company for plying on the Calcutta-Dhaka route, scheduled to start early next month.

So impressed was the transport minister -- as he noted at a press conference later -- that the state will consider buying Ashok Leyland buses for improving the intra- and inter-city transport services. The state is understood to be preparing a blueprint for improving traffic and transport conditions in the city, which will be tabled within a couple of weeks.

The company handed over two 36-seaterfully-airconditioned luxury buses fitted with intercoms and radio phone connections between the driver and supporting stations. The buses cost Rs 17 to 19 lakh each.

The Calcutta-Dhaka buses are identical to the ones used for the historic Delhi-Lahore journey, sans the painting on the outside. Both buses are fitted with engines made with the technical collaboration of Japan's Hino.

Ashok Leyland executive director Amol J Sandil said the company has a marketshare of around 35 per cent in the commercial vehicle segment, with three popular models in the Viking, Panther and Cruiser. All of them are made at its plant at Hosur in Tamil Nadu.

The company is planning to upgrade its Panther model for complying with the Euro-I emmission norms. According to the officials, the capital investment in manufacturing the CNG versions is not substantial. These buses cost around Rs 3.5 lakh more than the diesel versions.

Leyland is also trying to popularise the 90-seater vestibule or articulated buses. Already a coupleof them are plying in Chennai while there is one in Delhi.

According to Sandil, due to the sluggish movement in the automobile sector and low offtake by state governments, the company's growth curve dipped by between seven and eight per cent during 1998-99. However, the company's market share has gone up around three per cent to around 35 per cent in 1998-99.

The company has started exporting its Cruiser model to West Asia. In 1998-99, the company exported around 2,000 buses to the Gulf countries.