Preeja Prasad By Express News Service BENGALURU: The Transport Department will be proposing a scheme by next week after two years to provide subsidy to convert two-stroke autorickshaws into four-stroke. The last time, it was done was in 2016-17 where Rs 30,000 subsidy was given per auto to receive four-stroke autos in exchange for selling the vehicle outside the city. Around 1,000 autos had converted that year. However, the next two years saw a change in policy where the two-stroke autos were asked to be scrapped completely. Hence, the auto-drivers demanded Rs 50,000 as subsidy which was denied by the department and no funds had been received from the state. As of this year, the department is hoping to convert 25,000 existing two-stroke autos in Bengaluru and a quota of 5,000 electric autos have been proposed last month to the Chief Minister. “There needs to be a clarification on electric autos. One of the notifications received from the government says that electric autos require permit while another states that they are exempt from permit and tax. We are yet to receive clarifications on this,” said a transport official. “The scheme is a `30-crore subsidy which will focus majorly on electric autorickshaws though it includes housing and insurance for drivers as well. We will propose this in the next three days and see the outcome,” said Narendra Holkar, Additional Commissioner of Transport and Secretary. Earlier this year, Bengaluru was expected to get 5,000 electric and 5,000 CNG autorickshaws by the end of March. The decision to issue new permits to auto rickshaws was taken in December last year — the last permits being issued in 2011. As of now, eight CNG stations are operating in the city — Premnagar (Laggere), APC Circle (Jigani), Hardware Park near KIA, Peenya, Sunkadakatte, Bommasandra-Jigani Link Road, Outer Ring Road (near Agara Lake) and Tatanagar.

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