The Supreme Court on Monday agreed for a conditional relaxation of its order banning diesel taxis from plying in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) if the Delhi Government, the Environment Pollution Control Authority and the taxi owners association give a concrete road map by Tuesday for phasing out diesel taxis. The Court hinted that it was even open to modifying its order banning registration of new diesel cars above 2000 cc in Delhi-NCR.
“Primarily, we are of the view that diesel vehicles cause more pollution than other vehicles. We may be right, we may be wrong. We are open to modifying it,” said the Bench of Chief Justice TS Thakur, Justices AK Sikri and R Banumathi.
“We may start a symbolic cess on any person who is buying a diesel vehicle which would be a one-time cess. What should be the scale, price, engine capacity is the thing to be deliberated upon. There has to be a rational basis to decide that,” the Bench said.
Affected by the ban on diesel cabs, IT industry body National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), which earlier wrote to the Centre that the ban had severely affected BPO sector which employed more than two lakh people, appeared in the court through senior advocate Kapil Sibal to state its grievance.
Sibal said most companies hire diesel cabs which are compliant with Euro-IV emission standards. The ban had crippled the industry and many would be forced to shift business outside Delhi-NCR.
The Centre through Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar too spoke in favour of the diesel car manufacturers claiming that the court was not correct in singularly targeting diesel cars for city’s pollution when study by expert bodies have revealed pollution due to construction activity, burning of waste and stubble as chief causes of pollution.
Moreover, Kumar pointed out that the auto majors are crucial players supporting Government’s “Make-in-India” policy and they have been following emission norms as per standards fixed by Parliament under the Motor Vehicles Act. The SC felt that the best of measures introduced by Centre are rendered ineffective as they fail to be enforced. “laws are there but the real problem is of enforcement. Ban is imposed in Delhi but what have you done to enforce similar ban in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan,” asked the Bench.