CALOR Gas has announced it will open 25 public refuelling stations for liquefied petroleum gas within the M25 ring during the next 12 months, and has called for the Government to back LPG with a long term commitment. Calor's initiative aims to break the chicken and egg cycle which has stopped buyers switching to LPG because of the paucity of the refuelling network, and stopped gas suppliers investing in filling stations because of lack of public demand.

Gilbert van den Brink, chairman and chief executive officer of Calor Gas, said: 'The Calor London Commitment is designed to provide fleet operators with an immediate alternative to existing, more polluting fuels, which will contribute significantly to addressing this vital issue.'

Calor has LPG filling facilities outside London in Leeds, Bradford and Staines, and will open one in Birmingham next year. 'There will be a national rollout, but because of the dense population of traffic in the capital that is the priority,' added Andrew Ford, Calor's group corporate affairs manager. He urged the Government to maintain or increase the duty and therefore price differential between gas and petrol or diesel, and called for further concessions for company car drivers with gas-powered cars.