By Team Mangalorean Bangalore

BANGALORE, November 19, 2009: In a major move, the Karnataka government decided to bring down vehicular pollution in Bangalore by making it mandatory all new autorickshaws to be green.

Addressing presspersons here on Thursday, Transport Minister R Ashok said all new autorickshaws, which would be registered to ply in the city, should be green colour. Installation of electronic meters has also been mandatory in all green autorickshaws.

The green autorickshaws are not only painted green but also environmentally-friendly engine and they run only on LPG and petrol. The Department will formally release green autorickshaws on November 24 at the Vidhana Soudha.  However, the existing autorickshaws owners are not forced to paint green colour to the vehicles, he said.

It may be recalled here that owners of autorickshaws opposed the department’s decision to change the color of the autos from yellow to green.

He said the authority to sanction vehicle permits is being decentralised. The Regional Transport Authority that is Deputy Commissioners in districts have been given powers to issue permits to maxi cabs and buses according to the needs of the district. This would help the RTA to permit movement of more vehicles to villages where transportation services are poor. Further, authorities at local level knew the requirements of the region much better than those in Bangalore, he said.

Now, there are some problems in distribution of buses as profitable routes were getting more, and the process of granting permits were taking longer time because the system is centralised, he said.

He said the Government would float a tender soon to build a Rs 12 crore truck terminus in Mysore, where Mysore Urban Development Authority has already allotted land.

The Minister said the authority to sanction vehicle permits is being decentralised. Going forward, Regional Transport Authority -- Deputy Commissioners in districts -- would do the job. The aim was to see that vehicles went to villages where transportation services are poor, and in recognition of the fact that authorities at local level know the requirements of the region much better.

The process of granting permits was taking longer as the system is centralised. Ashoka said he would visit Delhi early next month to request the Centre to sanction 1,000 more buses for Bangalore under the National Urban Renewal

Majestic bus-stand to be shifted: Mr Ashok said he Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will hand over a portion of its land at the Kempe Gowda Bus Station to Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) in a couple of days to facilitate construction of the underground Metro Stations.

Out of 35 acres at the Kempe Gowda bus-station, the KSRTC will hand over 20 acres to the BMRCL for metro work for a three-year period. All KSRTC will be providing bus services to different destinations of the State and other states from Shantinagar, Hebbal and Peenya bus-stations. He said the BMRCL would handover 13 acres to the KSRTC after three years. However, the BMTC would continue to operate services from the Kempe Gowda Bus-station, he said.