Steps initiated to phase out diesel autos
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 22 2016: Steps have been initiated to gradually phase out diesel auto-rickshaws, which have been contributing to the rising noise level, from Imphal city area.

The multiplying number of diesel auto rickshaws has resulted in the disappearance of other public transport systems including bus even as it is a source of livelihood for many including educated unemployed youth.

Besides, diesel auto-rickshaws cause traffic snarl in the city area.

According to a highly reliable source from the State Transport Department, no new permit has been issued to diesel auto-rickshaw in the City area.

Since no new permit is issued, the diesel auto-rickshaw will gradually vanish from the City area once the life-span of the existing auto-rickshaws expire.

The source also confided that passenger buses will be revived once the diesel auto-rickshaws disappear from the City area.

The step is not to totally do away with diesel auto-rickshaw services in the entire State but an attempt to provide bus service along important routes.

Permit to diesel auto rickshaw will however be issued to ply to places/destinations where bus cannot reach.

This way, people who are dependent on auto-rickshaw for livelihood will not be affected while at the same time providing bus services, the source said.

The State Transport Department along with the Town Planning Dept is scheming to conduct a traffic survey for plying of bus on major corridors.

There is also plan to introduce electric run vehicles in Imphal city area side by side with buses.

Towards this end, license has already been granted to two/three firms for sale of electric vehicles.

Plans are also afoot to construct multi-level parking at four locations when Imphal is developed into a Smart City in order to ease congestion.

Although the sites for construction of multi-level parking are yet to be identified, the same will be identified after forming the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) committee, the source added.

However, as the permit issued to the vehicle is transferrable, the step taken by the Transport Dept is unlikely to yield pisitive result.

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