The state government led by Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma has taken various long-term steps with the aim of 'Green Guwahati'. One of the notable steps among them is stepping forward to make the country's "Net Zero Carbon Emission by 2070" target a reality.

With this goal in mind, on January 1, 2023, 100 CNG operated buses were flagged off under the Assam State Transport Corporation to ply in Guwahati and the first CNG station was inaugurated in Guwahati. Since then, CNG-run buses have been serving the streets of Guwahati without any difficulties.

Apart from CNG-run buses, other private vehicles in Guwahati have also started growing steadily. There has been a rise in Green Auto rickshaws as well. Have you noticed it?

Pratidin Time during a survey has found out that only a section of petrol run auto-rickshaw drivers have shifted to CNG in Guwahati city due to availability of only one CNG station. Thus, concerned authority of the state government ought to introduce more CNG stations in important junctions as limitations are imposed for auto-rickshaws in moving from one locality to another.

According to the survey, it is estimated that only about 50 to 60 CNG auto-rickshaws are operating in the city currently, however, many more are opting to join the chain soon.

It is learnt that two top automobile companies namely Bajaj and TVS have already captured the Guwahati market in the CNG auto category and are aiming for more market surplus in the future.

“So far we have only one CNG station in Guwahati; thus, maximum auto-rickshaws are still running on petrol. Once the number of CNG station increases, the number of conversions also might increase. But, there are some drawbacks in running CNG auto rickshaws in the Northeastern region due to its hilly terrain. Moreover, the chances of cylinder explosion in these autos are also high. So, we will have to think before we start operating these autos. It’s not only for us, but, also for the safety of passengers,” said Pulak Sarkar, an auto rickshaw driver.

CNG-autos are already operating in top metro cities in India including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, however, the fact that the CNG-operated auto rickshaws are relatively new in Guwahati, thus, it is still not widely embraced by the drivers or owners as compared to other cities of the country. Henceforth, over 10,000 auto rickshaws are still running on petrol in Guwahati.

Amidst the rise in demands for online Taxi aggregators like OLA, UBER, Rapido, etc in Guwahati, auto-rickshaw still continues to be an emotion to many Guwahatians. Believe or not! Auto-rickshaw does play an important role in means of transportation in the city.

But now the question is, have these thousands of auto rickshaw drivers and owners taken up any plan to keep pace with the times? Even if not, most of the auto rickshaws in Guwahati have become flabby and are not suitable for movement as per the transport department's provisions, auto-rickshaw drivers continue to operate these vehicles.

As of today, auto rickshaw drivers in Guwahati have to obtain No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Auto Rickshaw Owners Association before submitting documents related to registration and permits for plying and operating auto-rickshaws in the city to the office of the District Transport Officer, but how far that rule has been effective is also a matter of concern?

It is to be noted that the Guwahati Auto Rickshaw Owners Association was founded in 1970. The association has its own permanent office and a constitution. As per the Constitution, their office-bearers and committees are formed.

“There are more than 10,000 auto-rickshaws plying on different roads of Guwahati city, however, only about 1,200 members are currently associated with the association,” said Ganesh Choudhary, assistant of the oldest and first-ever Auto Rickshaw Owners Association at Ganeshguri.

As of date, there are reported to be three associations for auto rickshaws in Guwahati. “One of them is the oldest Guwahati Auto Rickshaw Owners Association and the other two are the Drivers' Association and Owners' Association. Both of them are unregistered,” alleged Choudhary.

According to Ganesh Choudhary, only one CNG-run auto rickshaw driver has been associated with the association so far. He, however, said more than 10 CNG-run auto rickshaws are operating on the streets of Guwahati.

Meanwhile, district transport officer (DTO), Kamrup Metro district, Gautam Das told Pratidin Time, “We are yet not aware of the total number of CNG auto rickshaws operating in the Guwahati city. There is no record available with the regional transport authority. Not a single auto-rickshaw driver has informed us about their conversion from petrol to CNG. Though, it is good initiative and good for the environment. By next week, we will be sitting with our officials and discuss on this matter.”

Eventually, CNG emerged as an alternative to petrol and diesel powered vehicles, due to which the Central Government as well as various agencies has been sponsoring CNG-powered vehicles with the aim of reducing pollution. In the national capital Delhi, CNG auto rickshaws operation started in 1998.

On the other hand, excessive increase in prices of petrol and diesel has also attracted people towards CNG powered vehicles. With the availability of CNG-powered vehicles in the market, the availability of CNG facility as part of alternative fuel system for almost every vehicle, the sales of CNG-powered vehicles has now started increasing steadily in other parts of the country including Assam.

According to a report by rating agency ICRA, CNG will emerge as the second most popular powertrain over the near to medium term, with its penetration in the passenger vehicle segment expected to rise to nearly 18 percent by 2027 from 11 percent in 2022.