[IMAGE]UnivTransitUNMShuttleFull.jpg[/IMAGE] A shuttle bus that will be powered by used vegetable oil is the focus of an art competition at the University of New Mexico (UNM) in Albuquerque.

The Veggie Bus, as it’s called, is expected to begin campus service early next year. It will run on waste vegetable oil recovered from campus kitchens. Students are invited to design a bus wrap that will showcase the vehicle’s virtues of sustainability and environmental friendliness.

“We think that the appearance of the Veggie Bus on and around campus will be a very positive image, sending out the message that by thinking differently about our common resources, we can come up with solid, effective, sustainable solutions,” said Cynthia Martin, planning manager for the university’s Department of Parking and Transportation Services (PATS).

The conversion of the cutaway bus from diesel to waste vegetable oil will be performed by students in UNM’s sustainability studies program. Campus spokesman Brian Kilburn said the bus will likely average between 15,000 miles and 18,000 miles per year.

For more information about the competition, visit http://pats.unm.edu/veggiebus.cfm Parking and Transportation Services.