Like in the case of Maheshbhai Kantilal Rathore. He purchased a second-hand auto-rickshaw two years ago only to be forced to sell it to a scrap dealer for a paltry sum. Today he is looking for a driver’s job in others’ auto-rickshaws.

‘‘I bought a 1988 model (GRD 1971) for Rs 21,000 in 2004. But soon I had to sell it to a scrap dealer for Rs 3,500 — only to get at least some amount that I had invested — after authorities refused models purchased before 1991 to ply in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) areas,’’ says 42-year-old Rathore, a resident of Jeeveraj Park area.

Life has become very difficult after he sold his auto, the only source of income. ‘‘I used to earn around Rs 150 to Rs 200 per day, which was sufficient for my four-member family,’’ says Rathore, adding that driving another’s auto wouldn’t bring him enough money as he would have to give the owner Rs 200-Rs 250 as rent daily. ‘‘I’ll earn only Rs 70 to Rs 80 per day. Will it help meet ends?’’ asks Rathore. Buying a new auto is beyond his means — a new vehicle with a CNG kit costs about Rs 1.15 lakh.

‘‘I have approached banks for loans but none is ready to give me a loan. They (bank authorities) need a government employee as a guarantor. Who would help me?’’ says Rathore. His is not the only case.

Forty-two-year-old Mahendrabhai Rambhai Patel died of heartbreak last month after his auto-rickshaw was seized by the police for running it on adulterated petrol. ‘‘My brother was hospitalised a few days after the police seized his auto. He was in great shock as he had lost his only source of income. He died on March 19, 2006,’’ says N R Patel, the victim’s brother, adding, ‘‘He couldn’t convert his auto-rickshaw (GJ9Y-341) into CNG mode as he had no money. It costs around Rs 23,000 to install a CNG kit, beside other expenses.’’

Sidiqui Gulamnabi Mansoori’s story is no different. A resident of Jamalpur, he sold his rickshaw to a scrap dealer for Rs 3,000 only. He had been plying it for the last 10 years. Now, he is jobless.”

Says Mahendra Dave, chairman of the Autorickshaw Drivers’ Association: ‘‘We welcome the initiative to make the city pollution-free. Every body wants to live in a clean environment. But what will these poor folks do, if they lose their only source of income in the process?’’

Dave adds that the government must help the auto drivers in installing CNG kits in their vehicles. He strongly feels there must be some sort of financial assistance from the government, like giving 80 to 90 per cent subsidies from authorities to install the kit in their autos.

According to RTO GP Oja, ‘‘We are removing petrol-run rickshaws from the roads in in a phased manner. Pre-1991 models were barred from plying whithin the AUDA and AMC limits.

He adds that the 1991-1995 models were asked to convert by March 31 while those from 1996 onwards will have to do it by June 30.