Auto switch picks up steam in Kolkata

Finally, some hope on the green front. Kolkata, environmental activists’ favourite whipping post, has finally given them something to cheer about. Replacement of smoke-belching autorickshaws with LPG ones has finally gathered steam, even without any sort of pressure from the government. The figure is encouraging, to say the least. In March alone, nearly 1700 new green autos hit the roads in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) alone. Magic? Not really. In fact, it’s pure economics. First, there’s subsidies from the government and the auto manufacturer. But what’s most important is the fact that switching to LPG makes pure business sense. LPG for autos sells at Rs 26.30 per litre, whereas the poison-belching kaata tel is Rs 30 per litre. Petrol, too, is far costlier, at Rs 44.30 per litre. Add to it the fact that LPG gives autos greater mileage, and it’s easy to figure out why more auto owners are preferring to switch over. “Old petrol-run autos gives us a maximum mileage of 16-17 km per litre these days, whereas a new LPG auto gives me 26 km per litre,” said Bikram Das, an auto operator on the Jadavpur-Golpark route. “A large number of operators are not even waiting for government subsidy. Those who can afford it are replacing autos on their own. So, there are more and more green autos on every route,” said Arun Sain, an auto operator in Behala. Sain derives immense satisfaction just by looking at his bright, shiny green auto. “If passengers feel comfortable riding it, I find driving it even more comfortable and satisfying,” he said. A senior transport department officer admitted that the drive had gained new impetus, with the idea doing the rounds that the government might withdraw the subsidy after the election. “The rate of replacement would have been much faster had the regional transport authorities (RTAs) and banks been more proactive. Auto operators get tired by visiting the RTAs, as files move slowly from one desk to another. The operators are interested in the shift, as they are finding their fellow LPG-run auto operators reaping profits,” said city based auto-emission consultant, S M Ghosh.