The proposal is now sent to states for consultation before it is formally notified.
25 Jan 2021 | 7762 Views | By Autocar Pro News Desk
The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has approved a proposal to levy a ‘Green Tax’ or pollution tax for older vehicles which are polluting the environment.
The proposal is now sent to states for consultation before it is formally notified. According to the notification the ...
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The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has approved a proposal to levy a ‘Green Tax’ or pollution tax for older vehicles which are polluting the environment.
The proposal is now sent to states for consultation before it is formally notified. According to the notification the main principles to be followed while levying the Green Tax are :
The idea is to dissuade people from using vehicles which damage the environment and motivate them to switch to newer, less polluting vehicles. The green tax will help further reduce pollution level and will work on the principle of ‘polluter pays for pollution.’
In addition, the Road Transport ministry has also approved the policy of deregistration and scrapping of vehicles owned by government departments and PSUs, which are above 15-years in age. The mandate is to be notified and will come into effect from April 1, 2022.
According to MoRTH estimates commercial vehicles, which constitute about 5 percent of the total vehicle fleet, contribute about 65-70% of total vehicular pollution. The older fleet typically manufactured before the year 2000 constitute less than 1% of the total fleet but contributes around 15% of total vehicular pollution. These older vehicles pollute 10-25 times more than modern vehicles.