After SC Order, Commercial Vehicles Ban Must Go, Auto Majors Tell Green Tribunal

With the Supreme Court of India lifting the ban on registration of above 2,000cc engine luxury cars in Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region), the Delhi government’s ban on heavy commercial vehicles should also go, automobile majors told the National Green Tribunal on Wednesday.

Justice Swatanter Kumar-led green court bench refuted the auto companies’ argument by observing that the “Supreme Court order does not say earlier orders (passed by NGT) go automatically. We will have to decide the issue. We passed the order before Supreme Court’s decision,”

Auto manufacturers including Tata Motors, Toyota India, Mercedes-Benz India and Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) have challenged Delhi government’s notification that has banned registration of diesel commercial vehicles above 2,000cc engine capacity in the National Capital Region.

Tata Motors told the tribunal that the Delhi government has wrongly extended the ban on commercial diesel vehicles above 2,000cc engine capacity. Tata Motors and Toyota argued that the ban could not have been extended to commercial vehicles as the Supreme Court’s December 2015 order was limited to luxury vehicles.

The auto giants fear major revenue loss if the Delhi government continues with this ban, the NGT was informed.

Toyota termed Delhi government’s ban as “corporate death penalty.” On May 24 the tribunal asked all states to give details about most polluting cities and vehicular population across districts. The NGT is looking into measures to tackle pollution in the National Capital Region.

The green court banned registration of new diesel-run vehicles in Delhi-NCR in December 2015. The Supreme Court further banned registration on above 2000cc engine capacity diesel cars in Delhi-NCR during the same month but the order was lifted in August this year and one percent environment cess was levied on the purchase of luxury diesel cars.

The green court said on Wednesday that it will hear all auto companies along with the government’s application seeking the court’s directions to first phase out 15-year old diesel vehicles in Delhi-NCR followed by 10-year old vehicles.

In July this year, the National Green Tribunal asked Delhi’s transport department to cancel the registration of diesel vehicles older than 10 years. But two days later the tribunal directed the government to first phase out 15-year old diesel vehicles. The NGTis yet to give its final decision on phasing out old diesel vehicles in the national capital and will hear auto companies and the government on September 27.