The Delhi Transport Corporation or other State Transport buses entering Delhi which are over 15 years old as on December 1 should go off Delhi roads, the National Green Tribunal directed on Friday.
“No bus or vehicle owned and under control of DTC or any bus operating under contract with DTC which is more than 15 years old as on December 1, 2014, would ply and/or permitted to be plied on any part of NCT Delhi,” said a Bench comprising NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar and expert members Dr. D.K. Agrawal and Professor A.R. Yousuf.
“This order will equally apply to the buses owned and/or under contract with Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, and all other States whose buses are coming to Delhi from the destination of their respective States,” the Bench ordered.
It also directed agencies and Pollution Control Boards to inspect agencies giving pollution under control (PUC) certificate and ordered that if they are found giving the same to non-conforming vehicles, they be closed forthwith.
The Tribunal had on November 26 ordered the government agencies to take off all vehicles, private or commercial, two, three and four wheelers, over 15 years old from the roads to check vehicular emissions adding to air pollution in the city.
On Friday, it asked all the agencies concerned to implement its November 26 order which contained a string of directions against plastic burning, parking on roads, overloaded trucks entering Delhi and working on ways to decongest the city.
The NGT on Friday also directed the agencies concerned to work on a methodology to be adopted for introducing pool car and providing of incentives, preparing complete layout plan for obstruction-free flow of vehicular traffic in Delhi and dimensions to which the public transportation system needs to be upgraded, increased and to ensure that there are pollution-free systems.
It laid emphasis on installation of air filters particularly in market places that are over crowded in terms of people and vehicles and at places and parks where Delhiites go for morning or evening walk.
Besides this, the Tribunal also asked agencies concerned to strictly adhere to its order on installation of in-line weigh bridges and their proper functioning. The Tribunal also called for suggestions on penalties to be imposed on agencies issuing PUC certificate to non-conforming vehicles.
The Tribunal has also called a meeting of all stakeholders: Ministry of Environment & Forests, Ministry of Petroleum, Central Pollution Control Board, Transport Ministry, Delhi Police Commissioner, DTC, CEO of Noida and others.
