Diesel-run auto-rickshaws to be phased out in Gurugram December 31
Diesel-run auto-rickshaws would be phased out in the district by December 31, as part of efforts to reduce air pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR). The announcement was made by District Magistrate Ajay Kumar during a meeting on Saturday.
The decision follows a policy introduced by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), which mandates the gradual phase-out of diesel-run auto-rickshaws in Gurugram, Faridabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad by December 31. Diesel-run auto-rickshaws in the remaining NCR districts would be phased out by December 31, 2026. The NCR covers Delhi, 14 districts in Haryana, eight districts in Uttar Pradesh and two districts in Rajasthan.
Ajay Kumar stressed the move is in line with CAQM guidelines aimed at reducing pollution. He also pointed out Delhi Government had launched a scheme in 1998 to convert its fleet of diesel-run auto-rickshaws to CNG and currently, no diesel-run auto-rickshaws are registered in Delhi.
During the meeting, Kumar instructed all sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs), the secretary of the regional transport authority and police officials to launch a campaign to ensure no diesel-run auto-rickshaws are operating on the roads of Gurugram. He also directed the police to conduct a special campaign to monitor overloading, as auto-rickshaw drivers often carry more passengers than permitted.
According to the secretary of the Regional Transport Authority and SDM Ravindra Kumar, there are currently 38,400 auto-rickshaws in Gurugram, of which 1,015 run on diesel. Since January 1, 2022, no new diesel-run auto-rickshaws have been registered in the district. In recent days, the local police have impounded at least 80 diesel-run auto-rickshaws.
