Convert 10 yellow taxis into CNG vehicles, urges cab operators’ body
KOLKATA: Bengal Taxi Association (BTA) has urged the CNG stakeholders to convert 10 diesel-run yellow taxis in the city to CNG as a pilot project so that the merits and demerits of such conversion can be assessed.
The stakeholders have informed BTA that an expenditure to the tune of Rs 80000-90000 per vehicle will be involved for converting diesel-run cabs into CNG.
“Taxi is the heritage of Kolkata and Bengal. Even some years back, there were around 8000 odd taxis plying on the roads. But now this number has dipped to around 6000. With the National Green Tribunal ordering phasing out of 15 years old vehicles, this number will drastically dip to around 3000. So, it needs to be examined whether the conversion of diesel taxis into CNG yield positive results or not,” Ashim Bose, General Secretary of BTA said, expressing his concern over the fate of the yellow taxis in the state.
Bose attended a recent meeting of CNG stakeholders in the city and maintained that the taxi owners are skeptical about investing in conversion of their diesel cabs into CNGs until they are convinced that it will yield positive results.
The stakeholders welcomed the proposal of Bose and said
An expenditure to the tune of Rs 80000-90000 per vehicle will be involved for converting dieselrun cabs into CNG
that they would do the needful in case of 5 cabs to instill confidence among the taxi owners.
“The diesel taxis have a space at the backside popularly known as ‘diki’ in Bengali parlance for keeping the luggage of the travellers. Keeping of luggages on vehicle top, which is a common practice in other states, is not allowed here. So we have to take up the matter with the state Transport department of making provisions for keeping luggage at the top as in case of CNG vehicles no such diki space will be available,” Bose said.