The report, "SC cracks the whip" (December 17) about the top court banning registration of luxury diesel cars in Delhi till March 31, 2016, also mentions that trucks older than 10 years will not be allowed to enter the city and that commercial traffic bound for destinations other than Delhi will have to use alternative routes.
Suggestions, however noble, in the absence of practical solutions soon fall into disuse. In fact, the suggestion on diverting commercial traffic requires the construction of bypasses over long stretches that will take a few years at least.
The Supreme Court could consider two suggestions. First, at the entry points to national highways 1 and 8, huge landing stations could be constructed, preferably along rail lines, to load or unload all goods trucks bound for Delhi. Thereafter, the goods might be carried on smaller, intra-city vehicles or via the railway parcel service.
Second, the Konkan Railways' example of carrying trucks on rail racks could be emulated, so that at least for a few years trucks cross the National Capital Region on rail racks.
The central government should partly subsidise this scheme to solve the pollution problem until alternative routes become operational. A road map to free Delhi of all types of trucks should also be also drawn up.
Y P Issar Karnal
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