Looking to curb the ever rising pollution levels, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a ban on old diesel vehicles in six cities in Kerala. As a matter of fact, the ban is imposed on diesel vehicles that are over 10 years old. These vehicles are likely to be taken off the roads within a month’s time.
Besides the ban, the NGT has also prohibited the state government from registering new diesel vehicles with engine capacity of 2000cc and above. That said, vehicles belonging to the public transport and government sectors can still be registered in the state.
As per the ban, 10-year old plus diesel vehicles falling under the light and heavy vehicle categories will not be allowed to run in cities including Kochi, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Kannur, Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam.
Kerala’s transportation services consist of a large fleet of buses, most of which are fairly old. According to a few reports, the ban would affect as much as 4,000 privately owned buses. Meanwhile, the state transport corporation has around 2,000 diesel-powered buses which are more than 10 years old. Additionally, the proposed ban against registering new diesel vehicles with engine capacity of 2000cc and above will have a deep impact on sales of large SUVs and utility vehicles in Kerala.
