White petrol makes for black smoke and a choking city

White petrol makes for black smoke and a choking city
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Ever wondered why auto rickshaws emit thick white smoke whenever they halt. The reason behind this is the spiralling cost of petrol and the extended time frame for conversion of petrol-run auto rickshaws into Liquid Petrol Gas (LPG).

Most autos in the city are allegedly using the cheaper ‘white petrol’ (kerosene). Petrol costs Rs. 47 and along with oil one has to shell out Rs. 53, while white petrol is only Rs. 24 per litre in the grey market.

Tannery Road, KR Market, Shivajinagar, Kalasipallya and outskirts’ areas such as Peenya, Nelamangala, Hosur Road are the white petrol zones.

There are already 35,000 auto rickshaws in the city, which run on LPG, 50,000 run on petrol and two percent use diesel. Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has already directed the Transport Department to check the petrol quality in auto rickshaws.

Bhoomananda Maane, chairman KSPCB, said that the department has been holding meetings periodically on this issue. However, December is the deadline to convert petrol vehicles into LPG ones. The Pollution Control department has emphasised the importance of early conversion of autos.

Auto rickshaw Drivers’s Union, president, Mohammed Abbas denied that drivers use kerosene with petrol. ‘‘We have been given a time extension to convert all autos to LPG,’’ he said.