More manpower, cess on diesel vehicles likely

NEW DELHI: A day before the next National Green Tribunal (NGT) hearing on the order banning diesel cars which are more than 10 years old, the transport department began cracking down on Thursday. Meanwhile, transport minister Gopal Rai made a pitch for more personnel.
Rai, after a series of meetings with officials on Thursday, announced a slew of measures the government plans to take.While some were with a long-term view – like installing weighbridges and imposing a cess on diesel vehicles – the short-term measures, like inducting more manpower for checking process at border points and holding a meeting with Haryana and UP for stopping the entry of trucks into Delhi will make an immediate difference.
The transport department impounded 27 trucks on Wednesday night and 24 trucks on Tuesday night. A senior official said that from Thursday, the department will also start checking for pollution. “The nearest pollution checking centre will be roped in to check trucks,” said the official.
Officials said their drive on Wednesday night had to be cut short because of long queues at the border. “Since there are no U-turn facilities, there was a long jam,” said the official. In fact, a fracas was reported from the Loni border due to the stringent checking that started suddenly after the NGT order.
Rai said 250 more personnel will be inducted for checking from the civil defence team. These are volunteers who have been given specialized training by the government. A meeting with Haryana and UP has been scheduled for Monday. Delhi Police has been asked to pitch in.
The minister added that the Delhi government is writing to the Centre for support. He said the government would urge the Centre to bring about relevant changes in the central motor vehicle rules (CMVR).