Hyderabad: City autos plying with old CNG, LPG kits may turn death traps

Hyderabad: The State Transport department has failed to implement the law which mandates change of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) kits in autorickshaws. Thousands of autorickshaws plying in the city don’t adhere to the norms of changing of kits for several years, which may lead to untoward incidents.

As per the norms, the service period of CNG kits is three years and for LPG kits, it is five years. But not every auto driver retrofits the kits in their vehicles. Though the Union Ministry for Road Transport and Highways is contemplating to allow retrofitting of CNG and LPG kits, state transport departments do not comply to the Centre’s norms.

According to Telangana Auto and Motor Welfare Union, the Transport department started fixing LPG kits in autos in 1999 after the State Pollution Control Board suggested to 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, and these autos are plying without changing the kits for several years. There are several such vehicles which have not changed kits even till 10 years.

“For ensuring safety, the company has validated the period of the kit. After the validity is over, there is a risk of explosion, in case of leakages. However, the auto drivers and also the private car owners are not changing the kits and the transport department turns a blind eye,” said Telangana Auto and Motor Welfare Union general secretary M Dayanand.

Dayanand added, “Several representations were given to the government, transport department and other higher officials for the negligence of officials during the fitness, nothing has been done to implement the norms.”

The City Auto & Motor Cab Drivers Welfare Society President Mahmood Hussain Makke said that 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. If the kits are not changed on a given time, they get heated and cause gas leaks, resulting in explosions.

“Officials should act tough on errant auto drivers, who are posing a threat to the citizens,” added Mahmood Hussain.

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. As per rules, the RTA authorities should not issue a fitness certificate if autos do not change the kit. But, sources said, authorities have been hardly checking gas kits for many years now.