JOIN USAuto firms to set up scrapping units
The process of bringing new autorickshaws on road as replacement for old, phased out vehicles is going to get a boost in the city with two autorickshaw makers getting the nod to set up units to scrap 15-year-old vehicles.
According to senior officials in the transport department, the scrapping of old autorickshaws would now also be done in the city by Bajaj and TVS – two companies which make these vehicles. With an eye on keeping pollution under check, the transport department does not allow use of commercial vehicles older than 15 years, including autorickshaws.
“Once an autorickshaw owner – whose vehicle is older than 15 years – presents his vehicle for scrapping at a unit he gets a slip which entitles him to a no-objection certificate from the department to purchase a new autorickshaw,” said an official, who did not wish to be named.
Leaders of autorickshaw unions alleged that in the absence of adequate scrapping facilities in the city, the process of discarding old vehicles becomes time consuming.
“Hopefully, the new units would speed up the process of replacement of old three-wheelers,” said Jaswinder Sodhi, an autorickshaw union leader. Officials said the new scrapping units, in a way, would also help in bringing in new GPS-fitted autorickshaws on roads faster.
Free to surrender
“Autorickshaw drivers whose vehicles are in the 15th year would be free to surrender their non-GPS fitted vehicles and take NOCs for buying new vehicles with the satellite based tracking and billing facility,” said an official.
The official dismissed the allegations of autorickshaw drivers that the process of issuing NOCs to those owners who had surrendered their vehicles was proceeding slowly.
“We had a backlog of about 150 applications which we have cleared and are willing to speed up the process further,” said a senior official.
A transport department official said a proposal was also under consideration to give a relaxation over fitting new GPS to owners of vehicles that are in their 15th year.
“The owners of such vehicles may not be forced to immediately get a GPS installed – as required by an advisory issued by the central transport ministry,” he said.
The officer further said that they are going to allow the autorickshaw owners to complete 15 years of their vehicle, surrender them for scrapping and buy a new GPS-fitted new vehicle. They will also be saved of unnecessary expenditure on GPS in their existing old vehicle.