The Supreme Court on Thursday extended the ban on sale of large diesel vehicles with an engine capacity of more than 2,000 cc in Delhi and the National Capital Region by another month.
The apex court had in December ruled that no new diesel SUVs or luxury cars with an engine capacity of more than 2,000 cc would be registered in the NCR till March 31. This was part of a move to curb pollution in Delhi and its satellite cities.
The court also granted a month’s extension to diesel taxis to convert to CNG. The court also indicated that it would consider whether to impose an environmental cess on the sale of diesel cars in New Delhi.
Leading vehicle manufacturers including Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Mahindra & Mahindra had filed an appeal against the Supreme Court ban. They had submitted an independent analysis which claimed that two- and three-wheelers were the worst polluters.
The Supreme Court, however, refused to grant any relief to the auto manufacturers. But manufacturers like Mahindra tried to overcome the ban by introducing vehicles with an engine capacity 1.99-litre.
Source : BS Motoring