Sudipto Mondal/The Hindu

• Only two vehicles have procured the instrument since October 7 order
• The 5,300 three-wheelers in the city should abide by the rule by 2010
• Uneven terrains in the region are stated to be a deterrent

Mangalore, Nov 24: The autorickshaw drivers here do not appear to be inclined to switch over to LPG mode, although the deadline set by the Government do so is fast approaching.

The State Government passed an order on October 7 that autorickshaws in Mangalore urban taluk should be fitted with “authorised LPG-kits”. However, only two autorickshaws are said to have got LPG kits fitted in over a month since the order was passed. New vehicles registered after the Government Order have to be compulsorily fitted with LPG kits. “If it were not for this condition, even these two drivers would not have bought the LPG kits,” said a clerk at the Regional Transport Office.

As per the order, the older the autorickshaw the more time the owner gets to convert the vehicle from petrol to LPG. Accordingly, the 5,300 autorickshaws in the city should switch over to LPG by 2010. Vehicles bought recently are expected to turn to LPG soon.

Autorickshaws registered between April 1, 2006 and October 31, 2008 have to get their vehicles converted before December 31. Autorickshaws registered between April 4, 2004 and March 31, 2006 can do so till March 30, 2009. There are nearly 1,500 vehicles in the city coming under the four-year period between April 4, 2004 and October 31, 2008 but except the owners of the two new vehicles, nobody else has bothered to get LPG kits. Secretary of the Dakshina Kannada Autorickshaw Drivers’ Association V.N. Prakash said that the drivers affiliated to his organisation were unhappy with the Government Order. The LPG kits did not suit the local terrain. “The city has a highly undulating and hilly terrain. The LPG-powered autorickshaws will not be able to negotiate the steep climbs,” he said.

The older vehicles would be worst affected by the new rule. “Some old vehicles do not have enough pick-up even with petrol. LPG will only make it worse,” he said. There were only two refilling stations — one at Balmatta and another Kapithania — in the city. Asked about the environmental threats that old petrol-vehicles posed Mr. Prakash said that diesel-powered buses and heavy vehicles caused greater pollution.

Regional Transport Officer Afzal Ahmed Khan is unperturbed by the drivers’ opposition. “Autorickshaw drivers are known to resist every move even if it benefits them,” he said. The move would reduce costs on fuel and maintenance for drivers, he said and added that the Government Order would be strictly enforced, he said.

There was a similar resistance in Bangalore where he was posted earlier, Mr. Khan said.