Technoglitch
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As many as 2.7 million trucks are expected to be taken off the road from 1 April when the government enforces a ban on trucks that are older than 15 years, according to vehicle registration data available with the roads ministry.
To be sure, it is possible that some of these vehicles may already have been defunct by now.
The step will create an immediate spike in demand for commercial vehicles as sales start to look up after a prolonged slowdown. During the April-October period, sales of commercial vehicles grew 8% to 373,000 units, while overall automobile sales grew 2.46% to 12.05 million units.
Environmentalists believe the move will also help reduce emission levels. As much as 30% of the total particulate pollution from the transport sector comes from trucks.
Last week, the roads ministry said Bharat Stage V (BS-V) and Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI) emission standards for two-wheelers, which were expected to be rolled out by 2022 and 2024, will now be introduced from 2019 and 2022, respectively.
“It makes sense to ban the trucks. They have not graduated to the BS-IV levels. The government’s decision will have to be pegged to a tighter emission standards,” Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment.
A number of studies in the past few months have labelled Delhi as the world’s most-polluted city. A dozen other Indian cities figure among the 20 most polluted cities across the world.
However, Vinod Aggarwal, chief executive of Delhi-based Volvo-Eicher Commercial Vehicles Ltd, welcomed the move and urged the government to implement a programme similar to the US cash-for-clunkers scheme that offers consumers the option to trade in an old fuel-guzzling vehicle for a cashback on the purchase of a new fuel-efficient car.
“We have been asking for this. But the government needs to incentivize the truck owners so that they could upgrade to better products without any hassle,” Aggarwal said.
2.7 mn trucks to go off road from 1 April as govt proposes a ban - Livemint
To be sure, it is possible that some of these vehicles may already have been defunct by now.
The step will create an immediate spike in demand for commercial vehicles as sales start to look up after a prolonged slowdown. During the April-October period, sales of commercial vehicles grew 8% to 373,000 units, while overall automobile sales grew 2.46% to 12.05 million units.
Environmentalists believe the move will also help reduce emission levels. As much as 30% of the total particulate pollution from the transport sector comes from trucks.
Last week, the roads ministry said Bharat Stage V (BS-V) and Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI) emission standards for two-wheelers, which were expected to be rolled out by 2022 and 2024, will now be introduced from 2019 and 2022, respectively.
“It makes sense to ban the trucks. They have not graduated to the BS-IV levels. The government’s decision will have to be pegged to a tighter emission standards,” Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment.
A number of studies in the past few months have labelled Delhi as the world’s most-polluted city. A dozen other Indian cities figure among the 20 most polluted cities across the world.
However, Vinod Aggarwal, chief executive of Delhi-based Volvo-Eicher Commercial Vehicles Ltd, welcomed the move and urged the government to implement a programme similar to the US cash-for-clunkers scheme that offers consumers the option to trade in an old fuel-guzzling vehicle for a cashback on the purchase of a new fuel-efficient car.
“We have been asking for this. But the government needs to incentivize the truck owners so that they could upgrade to better products without any hassle,” Aggarwal said.
2.7 mn trucks to go off road from 1 April as govt proposes a ban - Livemint
