Kathmandu, June 1: Operators and manufacturers of SAFA Tempo have demanded that the government withdraw its decision to bar new registration of the electrically run three wheelers in the valley.
“Since no genuine reason has been cited for closing the registration of this environment friendly vehicle there are lurking doubts whether the Mafia has popped up its head in the transportation sector,” Chairman of Clean Transport Entrepreneurs Association Devi Prasad Limbu said.
The Transport Management Department published a notice recently closing the registration of metered taxies, LPG and electrically operated three wheelers inside Bagmati Zone.
The government took the decision in view of the growing number of vehicles inside the valley, narrow roads and the frequent traffic congestion.
There are around two hundred thousands vehicles plying inside the valley as shown by the statistics of 1998. It is estimated that this number is likely to increase by one hundred thousand by the year 2008.
Operators of SAFA tempo refuted the news carried by some newspapers that the large number of lead acid batteries used in the three wheeler contributed to environmental pollution in the long run.
They have charged the government of closing the registration of the SAFA tempos to make room for the 80 microbuses waiting at the Tatopani customs.
The batteries of the SAFA tempo unlike the batteries of other automobile can be recharged up to 750 times and have a life span of two years. Moreover the batteries have a resell value and can be used in other electrical devices that require small quantity of electrical power, the operators of SAFA tempo said.
They said that the lead pollution would result only if the recycling of the batteries was not done properly.
“The SAFA tempos will only create 150 tons of scrap lead as shown by the projected figures for the year 2000 whereas the automobiles in the valley according to the statistics of 1997/98 have been generating 1240 tons of scrap lead,” Bikash Pandey of the WINROCK International said. Of this, 75 tons has been going into the environment owing to the flaws in the collection of worn out batteries. If improvements are made in the collection process the figure of lead going into the environment can be brought down to one per cent, he said.
He said that the automobiles were generating 10 times more scrap lead than the SAFA tempos.
Pandey however said that the recycling of the batteries was not being done satisfactorily in Nepal.
“There is not much danger of pollution from SAFA Tempo batteries as the batteries in use have not been worn out and DANIDA is looking forward to establish a charging station for the batteries so that they can be collected under one roof, ” General Secretary of Clean Ram Prasad Upadhyaya said.
Ashok Pandey associated with the Electric Vehicle Manufacturers Association said at a time when electric vehicles are being promoted all around the world because of their environment friendly nature, it would not be sensible to put a bar in their registration.
“There has been an improvement in the quality of air in the valley after the introduction of SAFA tempos and the tourism sector that had once witnessed a setback owing to high rate of pollution is slowly picking up,” he said.
He said that nearly 450 million rupees was being invested by the private sector in the manufacture of SAFA tempos and the closing of new registration would give a severe blow to the investors.
Nearly six thousand people are involved in the operation of SAFA tempos and their jobs have been jeopardised owing to the recent decision of the government, Pandey said.
He said that the SAFA tempos had been saving 20 million rupees, which would otherwise go into the purchase of petrol by the government.
Aamod Pokhrel, an environmentalist said the recent decision of the government to bar new registration of SAFA tempos is against the spirit of the Ninth Five Year Plan, which has stressed the development of clean energy.