Chandigarh autorickshaws get more time to switch to LPG

The Chandigarh administration has extended the deadline for autorickshaws plying in the city to switch to LPG and CNG till August 31.

Autorickshaw drivers in the tri city of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula went on a two-day strike on April 13-14, as the Chandigarh administration had started impounding vehicles from Panchkula and Mohali for not conforming to the LPG/CNG norms enforced by it.

The administration had also alleged that illegal plying of autos from Mohali and Panchkula was causing huge losses to the state exchequer and had banned the entry of autos from both the cities.

Representatives of the autorickshaw union alleged that the administration had shown undue haste for auto plying in Chandigarh to be compliant to LPG/CNG norms, the primary reason for the strike.

Kamal Kant, chairman of the tri-city auto rickshaw union, said if the administration was so sensitised towards pollution, it should have first converted the CTU buses to LPG and then urged the autorickshaw drivers to follow suit.

Speaking to Business Standard, Vandana Disodia, secretary, State Transport Authority of Chandigarh, said the administration had signed a reciprocal agreement with the Punjab government for allowing LPG autos from Mohali to ply on Chandigarh roads to save the transport authority from further losses. A similar pact is being finalised with the Haryana government, she said.

Considering the huge demand for LPG/CNG in Chandigarh in the days to come, the administration is planning to add four more refill stations for autorickshaws to the existing two stations.