Polluters may forfeit registration8217;

What does the law say about polluting vehicles?

The law at the moment is not very happily worded. But if we confine ourselves only to the weaknesses of the law, we will create asituation like Delhi, where the Supreme Court had to intervene to finally issue directives for controlling vehicular pollution.

When the present act was drafted in 1988, awareness of pollution was not to the extent it is today. It has stressed on the reformative aspect of the law, which has proved to be ineffective.

The weakness in the law is that the moment we detect a polluting vehicle we have to give it seven days to rectify the defect. Which means a polluter can continue to pollute with impunity for six days and rectify it only on the seventh when he or she comes for the test.

We have begun a two-pronged initiative to tackle vehicular pollution, which forms nearly 75 per cent of all air pollution in Mumbai. On the one hand, we have written to the centre to amend the act. This is likely to take some time. On the other, we have begun our drive against polluting vehicles.

What action are you proposing against polluting vehicles under the drive?
For such an important issue like playing withpublic health, we will have to go beyond such ineffective methods as seven-day periods. The polluter will now be brought to the RTO centre where his vehicle will be repaired under our supervision. If he continues to pollute, his registration will be suspended. We will also be checking whether the engines of such vehicles have been changed without our approval.

How can members of the public help in the drive?
They can call or fax in complaints of polluting vehicles to our department on 4932337, 6366957 or 4949980. Consumer resistance also helps. Do not board taxis or autos that are polluting.

What is the justification for the state government8217;s proposal to introduce maxicabs in the state? Will this add to the congestion in urban areas?
The fears that maxicabs will displace BEST buses, autos and taxis in cities is misplaced. They are meant to ply only in rural areas.

Today, in rural areas, ST bus services are found to be inadequate as against the growing demand of people to betransported. As with other problems like smuggling and bootlegging there exists a demand for these services so there is a supply. So a number of clandestine operators have purchased jeeps, Traxs, Sumos and are using them illegally as stage carriage vehicles to transport people in rural areas.

The government has felt that if you cannot control this, then it is better to regularise it and earn revenue. I would liken this move to former Finance Minister Manmohan Singh8217;s decision to liberalise gold import in 1991. The state government will gain a tax of Rs 900 per seat per month from maxicab operators and also provide employment to youth.

About the state government8217;s draft notification fixing an age limit of 9 years for commercial vehicles8230;
This is only a draft notification where the government has invited suggestions from the general public for amendments to this draft. The government has declared its intention to fix the age of commercial vehicles along the lines of the Supreme Court8217;s July 1998notification fixing a 15-year age limit for commercial vehicles.