KOCHI: NGT’s order banning diesel vehicles of over 10 years old with more than 2,000cc will badly hit the city as most of the private buses plying will have to be withdrawn from the roads. While green activists welcomed the move saying that it will help improve the air quality in Kochi, the government will find it difficult to meet the 30-day deadline.
However, a major chunk of private and commercial vehicles in Kochi will run into trouble. Kochi residents are mainly dependent on private buses and there are more than 600 private buses operating in city routes alone. The number of buses plying in long-distance routes is much higher.
“We will approach the state government seeking immediate measures to get the NGT order revoked. More than 75 per cent of the private buses operating in Kochi are more than 10 years old. Thousands of trucks, tippers, tanker lorries, pickup vans and other commercial vehicles will have to abandoned which will result in loss of employment of hundreds of people,” said K.B. Suneer, Private Bus Operators Association (PBOA) Ernakulam district secretary.
“It is not feasible to enforce a blanket ban with immediate effect and authorities should think of imposing the ban in a phased manner,” he added. Meanwhile, a section of truck and tipper owners alleged that the NGT order will lead to massive corruption as the automobile manufacturers will bribe the authorities to get the norms relaxed. “If the order is not relaxed or revoked, motor vehicle workers will be forced to go for indefinite strike which will paralyse the entire state,” said Abdul Rahim, owner of many commercial vehicles.
