Kolkata Bans Old Vehicles

[Ceres]

While Tata Motors is busy delivering brand-new Nano cars to customers in Kolkata (Calcutta), vehicle operators are protesting the Calcutta High Court's ban on commercial vehicles registered before 1993.

The purpose of the ban is to reduce bronchial and respiratory cases due to air pollution.

Nearly 4,000 private buses, 6,800 taxis and more than 95 percent of the 65,000 auto-rickshaws have been barred following the court order.

The government is to provide 1,600 additional buses in the city.

Some vehicle protesters have put up road blocks and damaged a number of state buses.

 

[Jeff]

That's going to hit poorer people very hard. If you're driving a vehicle from before 1993, it's probably because you don't have much choice. Big vehicle interests are rejoicing, I'm sure.