New Delhi: The Delhi government finally seems to be waking up to the threat of environment pollution from the expanding private vehicle pool in the city. Based on an EPCA (environment pollution control authority) recommendation, the transport department is putting together a proposal for mandatory fitness checks of all private vehicles. At present, only commercial vehicles need to get an annual fitness check done at authorized regional transport offices.

NEW DELHI: Trucks and tourist buses with national permits and registered in NCR that need to move cargo or people between two points in NCR are now required to comply with Bharat Stage IV emission standards. The notification was issued this February but sources claim there is negligible compliance. With the Delhi government planning to go big on reining in overloaded trucks and polluting vehicles to bring down emission levels in the city, this has become a major point of worry.

The Supreme Court on Monday expressed serious reservation over the Delhi chief secretary’s failure to honour its August 2011 order, asking him to detail the action taken following a CBI report about the illegal trading of three-wheeler autorickshaw permits in the capital. A bench of Justices D K Jain and A R Dave asked, “This is a very serious matter. Why is the order not complied with even after six months. If the chief secretary behaves in this manner, what will his subordinates do?”

Non-completion of the Western and Eastern Peripheral Expressway to divert traffic of heavy vehicles is costing the national Capital’s health dearly. According to a study, the city has the highest level of air pollutants called particulate matter less than 10 microns (PM10). To make matters worse, the PM10 levels have risen during the past three years, while many other cities, including Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai, witnessed a drop.

New Delhi: As the MCD prepares budget estimates for the year 2012-13, the cashstrapped agency is planning to double parking rates in the city. Subsequently, the monthly licence fee pro rata is also expected to go up.

In an effort to salvage “public confidence” in the much delayed Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway project, the constructing company will open a small, ready stretch for traffic to try out this month.

EPCA Tells IGL Not To Revise Prices Again
New Delhi: Frequent hikes in pricesof CNG(compressed natural gas) has got the EPCA (Environment Protection Control Agency) to ask IGL (Indraprastha Gas Limited), the sole supplier of the fuel in thecity,todesistfrom making any further price change.

Officials said regulating the price of CNG was essential to ensure that it did not lose out to diesel. At present, diesel vehicles account for morethan 50% of all personal car sales in the city, posing an air pollution nightmare for the government.

Delhi has witnessed an annual vehicular growth of 10 per cent and nearly 1,200 vehicles are registered daily, experts analysing the parking policy of the Capital said on Wednesday.

The statistics were provided by experts to discuss parking reforms for a liveable city, at a conference organised by the Center for Science and Environment to encourage authorities in the Capital towards adopting a parking policy. The policy aims at discouraging usage of private vehicles and encourage use of public transport.

New Delhi: Even as a highlevel committee deliberates over the parking rate policy, a strong case is being made to hike parking rates in the city. EPCA (environment and pollution control authority) member Bhure Lal on Wednesday made it clear that the time has come to change the parking policy in the city drastically. Incidentally, EPCA, along with UTTIPEC, is in the midst of coming up with a new parking policy for Delhi.

Traders' Association to pay Rs.5.34 lakh monthly to NDMC

With the Khan Market Traders' Association agreeing before the Delhi High Court on Thursday to pay a monthly parking fee of Rs.5.34 lakh to the New Delhi Municipal Council, shoppers visiting the place will continue to enjoy free parking.

The Traders' Association agreed to pay the amount per month to the civic body before a Division Bench of the Court comprising Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Rajiv Shakdher.