To check pollution and promote e-vehicles, the UT administration has stopped registration of petrol, diesel, CNG and LPG auto rickshaws and started approving only e-rickshaws in the city. According to UT officials, the administration had recently submitted its action plan to the central government to control pollution in the city.

A senior official of State Transport Authority (STA) said the UT is not registering petrol, diesel, CNG and LPG autos. It is only registering e-rickshaws with the State Transport Authority, the official said.

Recently, during a high-level meeting of the Tricity coordination committee, the UT administration had suggested Punjab and Haryana to restrict the entry of diesel-operated vehicles, including autos, into the city.

According to officials, at present, there are 6,000 autos registered with the STA. The STA renews registration of autos only after fitness inspection necessary after every two years. Every auto owner has to renew the vehicle’s permit after every five years at a cost of Rs 5,000. A sum of Rs 300 is the fitness inspection fee after every two years for the first eight years and then after every year for the next seven years. An auto can run on the roads in Chandigarh for a maximum period of 15 years.

Moreover, the Union ministry of Road Transport and Highways had suggested initiatives to promote electric vehicles, like waiving of toll charges, parking charges and issuing green registration number plates. The Centre Government has already framed a National Electric Mobility Mission Plan, which aims at promoting hybrid and electric vehicles in the country.