Kolkata auto drivers protest against old vehicle ban

Kolkata, Aug. 3 (ANI): Protesting against the West Bengal Government's decision to ban auto rickshaws that were over 15 years old, auto drivers staged a demonstration here on Monday.

The Save Auto Committee urged the government to allow drivers to convert their auto-rickshaws into LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) mode instead of stopping them from plying altogether.

"We will simply go there (Authorities) to submit a memorandum for allowing the autos to ply in a particular mode that is LPG," said Sobhandeb Chaatterjee, leader of the Save Auto Committee.

Chatterjee said it was discriminatory for the state Transport Secretary to allow only those autos, which are plying since 2000 to remain on the road if they convert to LPG from petrol mode.

He said that according to Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) any auto using the LPG kit could ply on the streets.

He added it's not the years of a vehicle but the technology used in it that makes the difference in emitting pollution.

"I don't understand from where they get 2000 why not 1995 why not 1996 the question before us that whether that auto is making pollution or not. I understand that according to ARAI there is no question of 15 years or 16 years or 20 years if a particular technique used in an auto that prevents the pollution," he said.

According to the sources, about 37,000 autos are not plying on the streets of Kolkata since August 1 as the state govt. started a crackdown against the two stroke autos and the commercial vehicles more than 15 year old. (ANI)