JOIN USAll taxis, including those operating under aggregators like Ola and Uber, would have to be run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) only in the National Capital Region.
The Supreme Court on Saturday declined to extend the April 30 deadline fixed for their conversion from diesel to the CNG mode of fuel. In an effort to curb Delhi’s pollution, a three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice T S Thakur rejected the plea for modification of the court’s orders issued on December 16, January 5 and March 31, fixing the deadline for conversion of all taxis into the CNG fuel.
Appearing for taxi owners, senior advocate Shyam Divan contended there was no technology at all for converting diesel vehicles into the CNG mode. “We will not be able to earn our livelihood. Moreover, we have to pay the bank also,” Diwan said, seeking modification of the orders.
“We are not going to extend the deadline,” the bench, also comprising Justices A K Sikri and R Banumathi, said in a special hearing on court holiday.
The court had earlier fixed March 1 as the date for converting all diesel taxis into the CNG mode but subsequently extended it to April 30.
Meanwhile, the court pulled up the Centre for “waiting for someone to wake it up from deep slumber” even as the Union government agreed to examine a proposal to install a catalytic converter in the vehicles to reduce the pollutants in the emission.
Senior advocate K K Venugopal submitted that of the 25 lakh vehicles, including those that run on diesel, plying in the National Capital Region, can be fitted with catalytic converter with a minimum cost of a few thousand rupees.
He also cited a study done in California and claimed that with this, emission norm of BS-I vehicles could be raised to BS-IV standard.
This would also solve the problem of disposing old vehicles, he submitted.
Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, appearing for the Transport department, submitted that the government was ready to coordinate and examine the efficacy of the device and the cost incurred by it.