Alert! No CNG for car owners without compliance plates by June 1

Those of you who own and drive cars powered by CNG, here’s a bit of red-tape that you have to comply with. Check if your car has a “CNG compliance plate” affixed on it near the CNG filling point on the car. If not, you won’t be allowed to fill CNG at the pump from June 1, 2013 onwards.

This CNG compliance plate is a metal plate that has the compressed natural gas cylinder identification number, installation date, type of kit, and date of last testing stamped on it. It is screwed into the car’s body near the CNG refilling nozzle.

In February this year, the department of transport had issued a circular to CNG fitment centres in the Delhi-NCR region, asking them to fit CNG compliance plates on all vehicles on which CNG kits have been installed. Cars that come factory-fitted or dealer-fitted with CNG from the showroom already have these compliance plates.

The government has come out with these norms for CNG cars to clamp down against illegal or unauthorized CNG kits in cars. The compliance plate will let a CNG operator know whether the car has a safe CNG kit or not. All CNG equipped cars have to go through a CNG cylinder hydrotest – a test to check the strength and fitness of the cylinder – every five years. This also applies to LPG vehicles according to the Gas cylinder rules 2004. Also read: Breakeven point: How many Km a day justifies CNG or LPG conversion

What to do if you don’t have a CNG compliance plate?

If you don’t have a CNG compliance plate on your car here is how you can go about getting one.

–          Check to see if your RC (registration certificate) has CNG as a fuel endorsed in it

–          Take photocopies of your RC, insurance certificate, PUC and CNG installation receipt to the CNG centre from where you got the CNG kit fitted in your car

–          You will have to submit these documents and fill up a form at the fitment centre

–          You should receive the compliance plate within two or three days, and it could cost up to Rs. 500.

If you have not got your CNG kit endorsed on your RC book yet, this is probably a good time to do so, as beginning June 1, you will have trouble filling CNG in the Delhi NCR region. Share this bit of news with other CNG car users. Also read: CNG or LPG what’s the better alternate fuel?

Source: NGVglobal