The Hindu : New Delhi News : Two-stroke engine auto-rickshaws to be phased out

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 18, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Two-stroke engine auto-rickshaws to be phased out

Staff Reporter

Eco-friendly four-stroke technology to replace them

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Cabinet on Monday approved phasing out of retrofitted two-stroke engine auto-rickshaws in the Capital and their replacement by environment-friendly four-stroke technology as a measure to control vehicular pollution in the Capital. The move is likely to affect nearly 50,000 auto-rickshaws in the city.

At a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, the Cabinet decided to provide subsidy to the 50,000 auto-rickshaw owners who would stand affected by the decision. The scheme for switchover would be applicable only to retrofitted vehicles that already have the permission to ply on Delhi roads till they become 10 years old. The scheme will be applicable on a mandatory basis for all three-wheelers above the age of 10 years and those registered before July 31, 1996.

For three-wheelers that are less than 10 years old, it will be mandatory on achieving the age of 10 years. The Cabinet decided that permission to register new vehicles be granted on submission of proof of physical crapping of the old vehicles. The Transport Department of the Delhi Government would also allow transfer of permit from old to the new vehicle. The Government also decided to provide 6 per cent subsidy with the plea to the manufactures to decrease their price by 6 per cent. The three-wheeler operators would also be allowed to retain the electronic meters. Thereby there will be a saving of over Rs. 15,000 to the vehicle operators.

The Cabinet also approved creation of 16 posts in different scales for the Delhi Legal Services Authority's permanent Legal Aid Clinic at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Place in Gole Market.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi