Date:12/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/12/stories/2008021259380400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Use of spurious LPG kits in vehicles rampant

S. Sandeep Kumar

Price differential prime reason for opting against ‘original’ ones

Spurious kits by unauthorised dealers also sport ISI certification
Once Smart Card is fixed to RC Book tampering gets checked

HYDERABAD: Unmindful of the danger involved in using spurious LPG kits in vehicles and cashing-in on the inability of Transport Department to store the details of non-transport vehicles using LPG kits, majority of vehicle-owners in twin cities are opting for these apparatus just to save money.

Cost

It costs around Rs.18, 000 for a vehicle to be converted into a gas kit-operated mode by an authorised dealer while an unauthorised dealer does the job for Rs.10, 000.

The difference of rate is the prime reason for vehicle-owners opting for spurious kits, says a call centre cab driver.

“LPG kits fixed by unauthorised dealers even come with ISI certification and it is tough to differentiate between an approved and spurious kit,” says the driver.

Admitting the fact, a transport official said cylinders, valves and tank of the kits were the ones to be tampered and it was difficult to a keep record of the kits as the details were neither available with vehicle-owners nor with the RTA.

Details of the kits used in transport vehicles like cabs and auto-rickshaws are available in the Registration Certificate (RC) book of the vehicle, while to include the same details of non-transport vehicles was not feasible, since the size of the RC book is too small for such inclusions, said the RTA official.

Check

These malpractices can be checked once the Smart Card comes into operation by March this year. All the details pertaining to the gas kits would be included in the card which would be fixed to the RC Book and there would be no scope for tampering with the details, he added.

There are over 18 lakh vehicles in the city, of which 75, 000 vehicles, including 25, 000 auto-rickshaws are using LPG kits. On an average, every year 12, 000 auto-rickshaws and 5000 cars go for LPG or CNG conversion in the city.

While, there are over 15 authorised LPG kit-conversion dealers in twin cities, the number of unauthorised dealers is much more.

Majority of these dealers operate in Narayanguda, Afzalgunj, Begum Bazar, Bowenpally Market, Paradise and other prime localities.