All New Autos in Bangalore Must Follow the Green Route!

From Our Special Corrrespondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Nov 19: All new autrorickshaws in Bangalore will be Green!

Going Green is the answer of Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurapa and his transport minister R Ashoka to bring down vehicular pollution in the state capital.

Addressing the media onThursday, November 19, Ashok said all new autorickshaws to be registered for plying in the city must be in green colour and installation of electronic meters will be mandatory for such autorickshaws.

The green autorickshaws are not only painted green but also will be equipped with environment-friendly engine as they run only on LPG and petrol, he said making it clear that they cannot run on diesel or kerosene.

The minister said the transport department will formally release green autorickshaws in front of Vidhana Soudha on November 24.

As many as 500 green autorickshaws are already plying in the city, he said pointing out that the existing autorickshaws owners would not be forced to paint green colour to the three-wheelers as the same can be done only if they conform to the specified norms.

The authority to sanction vehicle permits is being decentralised. The Regional Transport Authority and the Deputy Commissioners in districts have been given powers to issue permits to maxi cabs and buses according to the needs of the district.

This would help the RTA to permit movement of more vehicles to villages where transportation services are poor. Further, authorities at local level know the requirements of the region much better than those in Bangalore, he said.

There were some problems in distribution of buses as profitable routes were getting more and the process of granting permits were taking longer time because of the centralisation of the system.

Ashok said the department would float a tender soon for building a Rs 12 crore truck terminus in Mysore, where Mysore Urban Development Authority has allotted the land.

He said he would be visiting Delhi early next month with a request to the Centre to sanction 1,000 more buses to Bangalore under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

The minister said the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will hand over a portion of its land at the Kempe Gowda Bus Station to Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) in a couple of days to facilitate construction of the underground Metro Stations.

Out of 35 acres at the Kempe Gowda bus-station, the KSRTC will hand over 20 acres to the BMRCL for metro work for a three-year period. KSRTC will be providing bus services to different destinations of the State and other states from Shantinagar, Hebbal and Peenya bus-stations.

The BMRCL would handover 13 acres to the KSRTC after three years. ``KSRTC is sacrificing its lands for the benefit of the residents of Bangalore,’’ he said.

However, the main bus-terminus of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, adjacent to the existing KSRTC bus-stand, would remain in Majestic area.

After completion of the metro stations, the central bus station will become the biggest inter-modal transit hub in the city with interchange facilities of Metro, city bus service (BMTC), intra-State and inter-State bus services (KSRTC and road transport corporations of other States) and the Railways (Bangalore City Railway Station), he added.