BS-III, IV car owners demand pollution restrictions eased

Gurugram, January 25

As the air quality in Delhi-NCR has started to slip into ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ categories yet again, car owners and drivers in Gurugram and Faridabad have sought an exemption from the ban on BS-III and BS-IV vehicles in case Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is implemented again.

letter to caqm chairman

In a letter written to the Chairman of Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), car owners stated that the GRAP is implemented after every 10 days, due to which they have to spend from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 to reach their offices. They are not responsible for the surge in the air quality index, the letter further read.

The owners have written to the chairman of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) highlighting that the suspension is feasible in Delhi owing to the easy availability of affordable public transport. However, it poses grave inconvenience to people in the twin cities of NCR.

The letter read, “While the Haryana Government and local authorities lack effective control over the other key sources of pollution, the Haryana Transport Commissioner has passed arbitrary and discriminatory orders under the GRAP Stage-III notification.”

It further read, “It seems unjust to ban the cars that are three to four years old, timely serviced, and their owners possess valid RC as well as pollution under control (PUC) certificate. This excludes government vehicles. It is also pertinent to mention that the GRAP implementation orders are not adequately publicised, leaving law abiding citizens who meticulously update their PUC in lurch.”

The owners’ letter further stated, “The absence of comprehensive public transportation in Gurugram, coupled with the ban on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars, has caused inconvenience to the public. The over-reliance on ride-sharing services provided by companies such as Uber and Ola has led to an increase in the number of cancellations and escalated fares, particularly in areas with limited access to meter taxis and autos.”

“The GRAP is implemented after every 10 days, due to which we have to spend from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 to reach our offices. We are not responsible for the surge in the air quality index (AQI) numbers,” added the letter.

On Thursday, Gurugram’s Sector 51 recorded an AQI of 319 (very poor), followed by 302 in Teri Gram. However, on Wednesday, the sector recorded the worst AQI i.e 409 (severe), followed by 372 in Gwalpahari, 354 in Teri Gram and 308 in Vikas Sadan.