The National Green Tribunal has questioned the Delhi Government’s proposal to deploy 10,000 new DTC buses on the congested roads of the national Capital.
Questioning the rationale behind the idea, a Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said, “Delhi is adding 1,000 cars everyday. It takes one hour to travel 10 kms today. If you introduce buses simultaneously what would be the status of roadsIJ Will you be able to move an inchIJ Have you thought about thisIJ Encourage public transport but what is your scheme on thisIJ”
The Delhi Government, however, told the green panel that with around 30,000 kms of road length, Delhi has one of the highest road density in the world. “The number of buses in Delhi is much less than cities like Sao Paulo, Paris, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai and london when we take road density into account,” the Delhi Government said.
Coming down heavily on the Delhi Government’s response over the issue of age of vehicles that it is for the Centre to decide and in case Motor Vehicles Act is amended, the Delhi Government has no problem and is “okay with it”, the Bench said, “What do you mean that we are okay with itIJ We want your opinion on this. What sort of answer is this that if Centre does it we have no problemIJ What is the role of State governanceIJ What does State welfare meanIJ Why do you expect every court to pass order for any work to get it doneIJ When we pass orders we are accused of judicial activism. For the last two months you have not given clear answers. You say if law is amended we will follow. We are trying to find out ways and means to curb pollution,” the Bench said.
The green Bench was hearing a case related to air pollution in Delhi-NCR. The tribunal had on April 7 held that all diesel vehicles which are more than 10 years old will not be permitted to ply in Delhi-NCR.
On November 26, 2014, it had banned plying of all diesel or petrol vehicles which were more than 15 years old..