Hyderabad: City autos flout Centre’s norms, continue to ply with old gas kits

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, thousands of auto-rickshaws plying in the city are not adhering to the Centre’s norms. The State Transport department has failed to implement the law which mandates change of a kit in auto-rickshaws.

The department started fixing LPG kits in autos in 1999 after the State Pollution Control Board suggested the government to allow registration of autos only if they are run on gas to avoid pollution. There are over one lakh autos plying within Greater Hyderabad, of which at least 90 per cent operate either on CNG or LPG, without changing the kits.

As per the norms the service period of CNG kits is three years and five years for LPG kits, but not every auto driver produces the documents. “For ensuring safety, the company has validated the period of the kit. There is a risk of explosion, in case of leakages, after the validity is over,” said an official.

Telangana Auto and Motor Welfare Union general secretary M Dayanand said that the LPG and CNG-based autos are posing a threat to people as the Transport department has failed to implement the law of change of kit, which is placed below seats of passengers.

The kits are placed under the seats of passengers. If the kits are not changed on a given time, they get heated and gas leaks resulting in explosion. “Who will be responsible if some untoward incident happens as a result of negligence of auto rickshaw drivers and authorities. Prevention is better than cure. Officials should act tough on errant auto drivers, who are posing a threat to the citizens.”

As per provisions of the Gas Cylinder Rules 2004, rule 35 prescribes periodic examination and testing of cylinders. As per rules, CNG vehicles should be tested once every three years. The authorities should not issue fitness certificates and permits if the vehicles do not undergo safety tests periodically. “Though it was mandated, the fitness and permits were issued by the transport department before the safety test,” he added.

Dayanand said “Several representations were given to the government, transport department and other higher officials for the negligence of officials during the fitness, but nothing has been done yet, he said adding that the officials at RTO also failed to give response on RTI filed.”

As per rules, the RTA authorities should not issue a fitness certificate if autos do not change the kit. But, sources say that authorities hardly check gas kits.