Punjab govt. to ban 15-year-old autorickshaws

Department of Environment and Climate Change to ensure their replacement with electric, CNG vehicles

The Punjab government has decided to ban 15-year-old diesel, petrol-run commercial three-wheelers (autorickshaws) to control air pollution.

The Department of Environment and Climate Change has decided to ensure replacement of more than 15 -year-old three-wheelers with electric, CNG vehicles, said K.S. Pannu, Director, ‘Tandrust Punjab Mission’, on Wednesday.

“It has been observed that a large number of three wheelers which are more than 15 years are operating in Punjab but as per 68C of the Punjab Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, three wheeler autorickshaws cannot operate beyond 15 years,” said Mr. Pannu.

Registration banned

The Punjab Pollution Control Board has already banned the registration of new diesel/petrol-operated three-wheelers in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib and Mohali districts since January 2019. Also, the case for banning such vehicles in the districts of Patiala and Bathinda is under the consideration of the Board and CNG supply stations have recently been set up in these two districts to meet the demand.

“Deputy Commissioners of all major cities have been asked to undertake measures to weed out the old three-wheelers and to provide opportunity to owners of having gas-electric-based three-wheelers,” he said.