Gurgaon: Supreme Court bans diesel autos
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Gurgaon: Supreme Court bans diesel autos

While residents and environmentalists are happy that the ban will mean less traffic snarls and dip in pollution levels, the flip side is that there will be close to 50,000 auto drivers out of work.

Gurgaon: Supreme Court bans diesel autos

Supreme Court's decision to ban auto rickshaws with diesel engines in Gurgaon is being welcomed by residents. Most feel that the ban will ensure smoother traffic and help keep pollution levels in check.

RTO department has stopped issuing fresh permits to diesel-run autos after the court's decision. There are more than 50 thousand such auto rickshaws running in Gurgaon. The RTO spokesperson said that traffic snarls at busy intersections such as Cyber City, Iffco Chowk and Rajiv Chowk will reduce to a large extent. "Most diesel autos will automatically disappear once their permits expire in October."

But there is also another side to the story. Ramesh Kumar, an auto driver, said that the auto was the only source of income for his family. "I have been running this auto for almost 12 years now. If the permit is not renewed, I will be out of work as I can't afford to buy a new CNG auto," he said.

Kamal Narayan, a resident of Sector 14, is happy. “You should see the havoc these autos wreak on the Old Delhi-Gurgaon road. They do not follow any traffic rule. Going through the entire stretch is a major headache. The situation will be much better once they are gone,” said Narayan.

Environmentalists are of the opinion that lesser number of diesel autos will result in reduced pollution levels. Vivek Kamboj, founder of Hariyali, a Gurgaon-based NGO working for a greener city, said, “There were swarms of diesel autos in the city. It goes without saying that the pollution they caused was also quite a lot. It should be fine as there are several options available for commuters other than these diesel autos commonly known as black autos.”

Varun Gupta, a resident of a condominium on Sohna road, holds the 'black' autos responsible for accidents and traffic chaos all over the city. “They don't have an iota of traffic sense," said Gupta. "They stop anywhere they want, disrupting traffic. The CNG autos are the best option available after these autos are phased out.”