What it means for you: If you’ve booked a diesel SUV or sedan you will have to wait till March 31,2016 to register and take it out on the road.
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The court also raised the green cess by 100 percent which is now being levied on commercial vehicles entering Delhi.
India’s top court on Wednesday ordered a temporary ban on large new diesel cars in New Delhi as part of a series of tough measures aimed at cleaning up the world’s most polluted capital.
The Supreme Court also barred diesel trucks older than 10 years from entering the congested city and halted the burning of garbage, as scathing public criticism mounts over Delhi’s toxic air.
The Supreme Court has chose to pass a moratorium to ban all cars, trucks of diesel make and engine displacement of 2000 CC or more in New Delhi effectively till 31st March 2016.
Senior advocate Pinaki Mishra, appearing for Delhi-based auto dealers, sought modification of the order on the ground that diesel cars which were manufactured in 2015 should be allowed be sold as the existing stock would become obsolete by next year.
The automaker said it respects the spirit behind the ruling, but hopes that the Courts would look at empirical data before deciding whether to continue with the diesel vehicle ban in the capital.
It had also directed the Centre and state governments to consider not to buy any diesel vehicles for their departments.
Also, it ordered that NGT tips to be adopted at development websites be strictly enforced.
During the three-hour-long hearing yesterday, the Supreme Court bench indicated support to the odd-even formula proposed by the Delhi government to tackle growing air pollution in the national capital, which is now being described as “a gas chamber”.
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The order comes days after the Delhi government announced a radical road rationing formula - to be implemented from 1 January under which odd- and even-numbered cars will have to stay off the roads on alternate days. “To improve the air quality from vehicle point of view we must take a comprehensive view of various factors causing pollution, related to infrastructure, driving behaviour and compliance of exisitng emission norms”.
