The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Task Force to keep tab on gas kits in vehicles

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 07, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Task Force to keep tab on gas kits in vehicles

Suresh Krishnamoorthy

Exercise taken up following concern over increasing reports of gas leakages and tank bursts

— A file photo

safety drive: A worker filling LPG in the gas kit of a car at an LPG bunk.

HYDERABAD: Those wishing to convert their automobiles to gas - either liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or compressed natural gas (CNG) can now go ahead without too much of fear of the fuel tanks bursting.

The Transport Department has begun an exercise of mapping the numbers of gas-based vehicles - both transport and non-transport - in the State and also verifying the genuineness of the systems installed in the automobiles.

Additional Commissioner C. L. N. Gandhi said a Task Force led by RTO Secunderabad M. Selvaraj was involved in the exercise of gathering information on manufacturers of gas kits and their dealers and maintenance outlets in the State.

The exercise was taken up out of concern over increasing reports of gas leakages and tank bursts reported and complaints that those installing the gas kits were using old, out-dated systems that were being used before Section 52 of the Motor Vehicles Act was amended. It may be recalled that the Act was amended in tune with the research-borne recommendations of Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).

“The onus is now on us in the Road Transport Authority to ensure that only certified and approved gas kits are used,” Mr. Gandhi said. He said the task force was getting its act together to crackdown on those installing spurious gas kits.

“We are now minutely checking the operations of the installing agencies, examining their operating licences and seeing whether they were in possession of competent licences issued by us,” he said.

Data entry

Specifically, the Transport Department has made provision for additional points in the format for data entry in its computers. They are now entering data pertaining to manufacturer’s identification numbers and other details of the gas tank, the vapouriser and the multi-valve kits. “In due course, we will have the competency and be able to furnish relevant details by just feeding the registration numbers of vehicles,” Mr. Gandhi said.

As of now, there are an estimated 30,000 to 35,000 vehicles in the State that use LPG. In the State Capital, there are just over a 100 cars that run on compressed natural gas.

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