Chander Parkash/ TNS
Fazilka, January 9
Ecocabs, the pollution free transport vehicle for intra-city transportation, which was introduced by the Graduate Welfare Association Fazilka (GWAF) about two years ago, are going to ply in almost all the cities of Punjab and Haryana within a few years.
The innovative project of the GWAF, considered to be an important initiative in the low-cost transportation system for the cities in the country, will be replicated in the cities of Punjab and Haryana as the Punjab and Haryana High Court desired the same to be implemented while disposing of a civil writ petition a few months ago.
“Now, more than five lakh rickshaw pullers will be benefitted by it. The GWAF has made a dedicated website for the eco-cabs, which contains all technical information on it and also on how to start an eco-cab and Dial-a-Rickshaw scheme in cities,” disclosed Navdeep Asija, Secretary (Administration), GWAF.
The state government through its Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board and the district administration (Amritsar) had already implemented eco-cabs in Amritsar and subsequently ‘The Patiala Foundation’ of Patiala had implemented ‘Green Cabs’ in Patiala, he added.
“Letters from the principal secretary and financial commissioner of Haryana has been received to provide the technical know-how of ‘Fazilka Ecocabs’ so that the same would be implemented in Haryana at the earliest,” Asija disclosed.
He said the cities like Panipat, Samalkhan and Gohana of Haryana would witness the introduction of eco-cabs in the initial stage. Last year, Punjab exhibited ‘Ecocabs’ as a sustainable mode of transport in its pavilion during the India International Trade Fair 2010, at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi and the Punjab pavilion bagged silver for the same.
“We feel a glow of pride when the eco-cabs introduced in a town like Fazilka, which could not develop much due to apathy of the authorities concerned and suffered a huge loss due to two Indo-Pak wars in 1965 and 1971, have been making waves throughout the country,” he claimed.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110110/bathinda.htm#11
