The rising levels of pollution are increasingly a concern amongst the general public as well as the government. To start with, the capital of the country, Delhi was the first to take two consecutive blows in this regard. The first blow came in the form of the odd even rule that made it compulsory for odd and even numbered cars to drive on alternate days. The second blow that followed was the implementation of the rule that banned the sale of new diesel passenger vehicles over 2000 cc.
Now, citing the issue of pollution, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), one of the richest civic bodies in the country, has proposed a ban on registration of vehicles to fight the ever-increasing pollution levels. The proposal, known as the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) includes 4 options as a method to curb the pollution in the financial capital of the country.
- A total ban on the registration of new cars and bikes after a fixed deadline
- Enforce a limit on the number of new vehicles that can be registered every year
- Approve registrations of the vehicles only after there is proof of parking space for the vehicle
- Introduce a congestion tax in dense traffic zones, where entry of vehicles will be banned during a fixed time span with offenders facing a heavy fine.
Apart from the above, the BMC also proposed to establish infrastructure such as dedicated bus lanes, enforce fines for parking on roads, widening of roads, addition of cycling tracks, 19 flyovers, 6 six elevated roads, and a dedicated metro network, that would cost a total of Rs. 1.55 lakh crore. Reports suggest that the ratio of people to cars is almost 3 times more in Delhi and Mumbai as compared to the rest of the country.
This move comes just a few weeks after the Delhi government announced the second phase of the odd-even rule that is slated to begin from the 15th of April this year. Automobile manufacturers could be seen opposing this move citing the fact that it would affect their business to a great extent.
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