[sri_tesla]

ET is reporting that there will be a day-long hearing in Supreme Court on April 30 to decide on diesel vehicles regulations. The Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) has suggested that a green tax of 30% be imposed on diesel vehicles to check their numbers and toxic emissions.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/51905244.cms

[sgiitk]

This also indicates that Diesel will continue to be much cheaper than Petrol. One has to read between the lines. I for one am sorry to learn this.

[zee_bat]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

This also indicates that Diesel will continue to be much cheaper than Petrol. One has to read between the lines. I for one am sorry to learn this.

How do you conclude that? Yes it will still be cheaper to buy at the gas station, but overall cost to the consumer will be so much more than the premium already demanded by diesel cars over petrol.

This is just one of the measures suggested and would probably go through a test phase to determine feasibility. The other suggestion that might be mooted would be a direct increase in diesel prices and specific rebates only for the agro/transport sector based on a UID system.

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by zee_bat

How do you conclude that? Yes it will still be cheaper to buy at the gas station, but overall cost to the consumer will be so much more than the premium already demanded by diesel cars over petrol.

This is just one of the measures suggested and would probably go through a test phase to determine feasibility. The other suggestion that might be mooted would be a direct increase in diesel prices and specific rebates only for the agro/transport sector based on a UID system.

What he means is that it is quite CLEAR that the Govt has no inclination to reduce the tax gap between petrol and diesel.
Hence, the proposed additional 30% diesel tax (so as to discourage/milk those emboldened by the widening price between petrol and diesel).

[arvind71181]

As per this link, it looks applicable only for Delhi

http://auto.ndtv.com/news/government...ome-topstories

[Turbanator]

SC has fixed one full day for hearing manufacturers who have been asked to come prepared with Data like how much are actual emissions on 2000 CC & Higher Diesel vehicles and how do these compare with similar Petrol vehicles. I don't see such harsh Tax being implemented in one region.

[zee_bat]

SC will hear the manufacturers who created a full song and dance about their cars being used by the transport and goods sector, mahindra and maruti to be precise, but the writing is on the wall as far as the measures to decrease diesel car demand in the market are concerned. The Chief Justice is sure on the fact that all things equal diesel is a worse pollutant than petrol, and rightly so.

The true game changer would be to impose this "diesel tax" on all diesel cars all across the country. As one of the Petitioners rightly pointed out one time, the court has to curb pollution in ALL of India, not just Delhi! it is the Supreme Court of INDIA after all and not delhi!

[ajayr]

Maybe I am missing something here, but why is the Supreme Court deciding the tax on Diesel cars? Isn't it the job of the legislature?

[phoenixash]

Honestly, I can't believe the Supreme Court of the country is handing down rulings like ban of sale of diesel vehicles in NCR, without even questioning the government why our emission laws are so regressive and out-dated, especially for commercial vehicles. We are still allowing registration of vehicles complying with Euro III norms, which was super-ceded in Europe and other parts of the world a decade ago!!

We are pandering to lobbying by the automotive industry and taxi unions, without giving a hoot about the environment and health issues caused by this excessive pollution. These same auto manufacturers are producing Euro-6 engines in India and exporting them outside the country, but are resisting the change within India!

This proposed 30% tax of diesel vehicles is another band-aid solution thought up by the short-term and vote-bank mindset of our political class.

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by ajayr

Maybe I am missing something here, but why is the Supreme Court deciding the tax on Diesel cars? Isn't it the job of the legislature?

In our country people applaud when Judiciary assumes the role of legislature and/or executive. Somehow the Judiciary is assumed to be "garibon ka messiah" kind (while at the same time they cannot complete their work of closing the pending cases).

[abhi1309]

I only wish our standards were not this low. Riding my motorcycle, when I halt at a signal, I constantly gaze at the badges of cars standing ahead of me. ZDi and VDi are a no no, so are the Etios GD and Innova's. Zxi, VXi are sights for sore eyes (and sudden 'respect' for the driver who chose/bought it). Waiting for a minute or more in the cloud of Diesel smoke, mostly invisible at nights is scary. I have seen families with small children on two wheels waiting behind innovas and Etios Ubers and Ola's absolutely without any idea what it is doing to their lungs. Meanwhile the car owner is sitting in the Air Conditioned interiors of his diesel car listening to music.

Think about it. This is the scary reality of our country. Can't let this go unchecked just because Maruti and Hyundai invested in diesel engine plants and most car buying people want to squeeze the last bit of their money. Need a lot of sensibility here. If their is any anti diesel procession/meeting, please call me I'll be there.

[landcruiser123]

Think of yourself as a car maker:
Your Aim: Profit
Legal and Moral ways to achieve your aim in India: Sell a diesel (high market share) car which satisfy all the regulations set by the Indian government.

Then why aren't cars diesel cars over 2000 cc being allowed to sell in India?
Whoever put forward the PIL should have targeted the government and it's weak policies. NOT THE CARS.

I think it is only fair to allow any car to be sold as long it complies to the norms set by the government.

I'm indicating that we should work towards having more stricter norms for safety, pollution etc. The government better act fast.

The government should act quickly on removing personal diesel cars in a phased manner, targeting the richer classes first.

[kookaburra]

Originally Posted by abhi1309

Waiting for a minute or more in the cloud of Diesel smoke, mostly invisible at nights is scary. I have seen families with small children on two wheels waiting behind innovas and Etios Ubers and Ola's absolutely without any idea what it is doing to their lungs. Meanwhile the car owner is sitting in the Air Conditioned interiors of his diesel car listening to music.

Fair point, but are private diesel cars the ones that top the pollution chart? A vehement no!

Most of the transport vehicles are not maintained properly and emit truckloads (pun intended) of smoke!
For that matter even autorickshaws, which run on petrol, emit so much visible white smoke that easily stays visible for quarter a minute.

To start with the authorities can surely target "visibility" as a norm. The more visible exhaust a vehicle does it is more likely to cause damages to the people's lungs.

[fiat_tarun]

I have nothing against petrol or diesel, in fact I would choose a Turbo petrol over a diesel anyday. Having said that, the direction these 'bans' are taking aren't in the right direction IMO. Today's cars are all conforming to BS4 standards and the actual target should be the older vehicles (BS1,2) plying on our roads. Banning new diesel cars or >2000cc, etc is just the easier way out. If emissions really need to be controlled, the government has to come up with some sort of scrappage schemes to get the old polluting vehicles off our roads.

All OEM's have come together to explain this to the SC later this month. Let us see how this pans out.

[nmenon]

Originally Posted by kookaburra

Fair point, but are private diesel cars the ones that top the pollution chart? A vehement no!

Most of the transport vehicles are not maintained properly and emit truckloads (pun intended) of smoke!
For that matter even autorickshaws, which run on petrol, emit so much visible white smoke that easily stays visible for quarter a minute.

To start with the authorities can surely target "visibility" as a norm. The more visible exhaust a vehicle does it is more likely to cause damages to the people's lungs.

This is something that needs to be called out.
I was at the receiving end of something like this yesterday (thank heavens I was in my car due to the prevailing weather).
I was following a regular stage coach and at a signal as the bus pulled away for a few seconds I couldn't see anything, the reason being the extremely black smoke and the exhaust pointed towards the vehicle coming behind.
Now I understand smoke under acceleration in a Diesel engine, but the smoke was almost a constant smoke screen which would be great on a battlefield, but extremely toxic on a public road.
Strangely It's not just diesel vehicles, half of the ill maintained two and three wheelers which run on petrol, spew out white smoke (this includes modern 4 stroke bikes) which on the face of it is as bad as the diesel vehicles smoke if not worse.

So instead of banning "big" diesels/ all diesels etc. why not start by banning all vehicles that pollute/ don't meet the now standard BS IV norms at the very least.

Though in all probability it is the Govt. Agencies that would be the worst hit by this since it is their vehicles that emit these excellent smoke screens the most.