The use of cleaner-burning alternative fuels, such as natural gas instead of conventional diesel in public transportation vehicles is increasing rapidly. Recent statistics reveal that that 41.3% of U.S. public transit buses use alternative fuels or hybrid technology, with 16.9% using hybridelectric technology, 16.7% using natural gas fuels and 7.4% using biodiesel (APTA, 2014).

Some of the main reasons for the switch away from conventional fuels are the increasing oil prices and the environmental impacts of gasoline and diesel vehicles compared to the advantages of low-carbon fuels. This is especially true for natural gas which burns much cleaner than gasoline and diesel at relatively low price, making it an attractive alternative fuel for buses.

In Lebanon, the recent discovery potential of offshore natural gas reserves has raised interest in exploring the use of this cleaner fossil fuel in the local transportation sector. The study investigates the potential impacts of using natural gas and other alternative fuels in the Lebanese public transportation sector in terms of energy use, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and vehicle and infrastructure costs.