HC reserves judgement, gives taximen another breather

At the hearing today, Senior Advocate Jamshed Cama for the petitioners argued that the state could subsidise the cost of re-converting the taxis to their original petrol engines with tax concessions or soft loans. He argued that while taximen were keen to follow the high court’s orders, they were facing a funds crunch. With around 2,000 registrations having been cancelled, most of them were finding it difficult to earn their livelihood.

He also argued that most of them were willing to change over to CNG, but there was a shortage of CNG petrol pumps in the city and asked that the high court direct petroleum companies to put their heads together to solve the matter.

He submitted that the taximen who had illegally converted their four-cylinder engines to three-cylinder engines and whose registrations had been cancelled by the Regional Transport Authority, should be allowed to ply on the roads provided their PUC tests conformed to the pollution norms. However, Aenior Advocate Aspi Chinoy appearing for intervenors in the case, argued that a simple PUC test would not give a clear picture of the actual emission of the vehicles. He forwarded another test, the `chasis-dynamo-meter’ test, whereby some load is put on the vehicle and their emissions checked, which would be a full proof method of checking their emission limits.

Advocate General Goolam Vahanvati argued that if such a test were adhered to, no taxi in the city would be able to pass it.

The bench, though noted that it could pass orders on allowing such taxis to ply provided some tests were taken, and they were converted in a phase wise manner. It is expected that the order would be out next week.