Blow for auto drivers in Hyderabad as Govt announces shunting of diesel autos beyond ORR

Auto drivers were already hit after their passenger occupancy plummeted after the State government introduced the free bus travel facility for women.

Hyderabad: In yet another major blow for auto-rickshaw drivers in the State capital, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday announced that autos operating on diesel in the city would be shifted beyond the Outer Ring Road (ORR) and that they would be replaced with electric autos to make Hyderabad a pollution-free city. Auto drivers were already hit after their passenger occupancy plummeted after the State government introduced the free bus travel facility for women.

At times, auto drivers use kerosene in their vehicles to cut down operational costs. Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar should work out a new policy facilitating auto drivers operating diesel vehicles to purchase electric vehicles, he said.

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Speaking at the Congress government’s Vijayotsavalu here, the Chief Minister said 3,000 RTC buses operating in the core region of the city would also be relocated beyond ORR. In the next two years, 3000 electric buses would be introduced in association with the Centre to make Hyderabad pollution-free, he said.

To promote electric vehicles, the State government had waived the fee for registration of such vehicles. It had also introduced a scrap policy to phase out 15-year-old vehicles and cut down pollution, he said, adding that to make Hyderabad pollution free, support of the people was needed and a few tough decisions would have to be taken. The Transport department would be given a free hand to implement such decisions, he added.

The Chief Minister claimed that due to effective implementation of the free bus travel facility, working women and students were saving about Rs.5000 to Rs.7000 a month. This apart, due to the 200 unit free power supply, Rs.500 gas cylinder and free bus travel, women were making a cumulative savings of nearly Rs.10,000 a month, he claimed.