20-yr-old vehicles to go off roads

20-yr-old vehicles to go off roads
The Times of India

Bangalore: Movement of all 20-year-old transport vehicles will be banned in BCC limits shortly, thus contributing to a small extent in reducing pollution levels.

A decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting of officials chaired by forest, ecology and environment minister Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli on Tuesday here. The meeting was attended by secretaries of transport, forest and environment, food and civil supplies and police departments, apart from BCC officials.

Speaking to The Times of India here, Nagamarapalli said he has directed the transport secretary to implement the decision at the earliest. With this, hundreds of goods-carrier vehicles, buses and taxies will go off the roads.

In fact, the government had, two years ago, tried to ban 15-year-old transport vehicles in Bangalore city. But with goods transporters and BCC’s garbagelifting truck operators legally challenging the move, it was put on the backburner.

“But uncontrolled emission of thick smoke cannot be allowed to go on. That is why we decided to extend the age-limit for vehicles to 20 years. The objective is to reduce pollution,’’ Nagamarapalli said.

As most garbage-lifting contractors of the BCC use old vehicles, instructions have been issued to ensure that these are replaced, Nagamarapalli added.