HYDERABAD: Though the Union Ministry for Road Transport and Highways is contemplating to allow retrofitting of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) kits for Bharat Stage VI (BS6) vehicles, thousands of auto-rickshaws plying in the city don’t adhere to the Centre’s norms.
While the drivers are not bothered about replacing or recalibrating the existing kits as it cost over `15,000, the Road Transport Authority (RTA), which is responsible for the enforcement of norms, is yet to address this defiance, even as activists point out the lurking danger.
There are over one lakh autos plying within the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits, of which at least 90 per cent operate either on CNG or LPG. As mandated by the authorities, including the State Pollution Control Board, most of the auto-rickshaws have shifted to gas as fuel in the last two decades.
Earlier, the RTA was also cautioned by State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) in 2018 and was served notices to conduct tests.Despite this, the condition of gas kits is not a priority. For instance, on Wednesday, auto drivers, who were standing in queue for fitness test at the RTA office in Trimulgherry (North Zone), informed that they don’t have documents related to the gas kit and officials were only checking for other documents.
Officials said that the service period of CNG kits is three years and for LPG kits, it’s five years, but not every auto driver produce the documents. “There is a certain period of validity and provision for the recalibration by the company for ensuring safety. There is a risk of explosion, in case of leakages, after the validity is over,” an official informed.
Over one lakh in city
There are over one lakh autos plying within the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits, of which at least 90 per cent operate either on CNG or LPG