Transport dept cracks down on heavy vehicles to mitigate air pollution

The state transport department in Mumbai has started cracking down on heavy vehicles such as buses and trucks for contributing to air pollution in the city. Inspections are being carried out to check if proper norms are being followed while transporting construction debris and garbage. Vehicles found to be in violation will be impounded and necessary action will be taken. Associations of transporters claim to be following prescribed norms and are unhappy about being targeted by the government. The BMC has also issued guidelines to control air pollution from vehicles.

Mumbai: The state transport department has initiated a crackdown on buses, trucks, tempos and other heavy vehicles for contributing to air pollution in the city. State transport commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar said that the exercise began earlier this week, and he had instructed various regional transport offices (RTOs) to form flying squads and carry out inspections.

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“Our flying squads are on road, inspecting heavy vehicles. Apart from PUC certificates, they will be checking if proper norms are being followed while carrying articles like construction debris and garbage,” he said.

RTO officials said that when cement, construction material or debris fell on the road, it flew as dust, causing severe pollution.

“Rule 190(3) of the Motor Vehicles Act states that construction material should either be taken in a closed truck or dumper or covered properly in an open vehicle,” said an official.

Squads from RTOs in Tardeo, Andheri, Wadala, Borivali and Thane will keep a check on all vehicles within the island city in the ensuing days, both in the eastern and the western suburbs during peak and off-peak hours. RTO officers said trucks that are found overloaded or uncovered while carrying debris and garbage would be impounded and necessary action would be initiated against them.

Associations of transporters, however, claimed that they were following all prescribed norms and expressed unhappiness at being “targeted” by the government.

For instance, bus owners said that out of the total 37000 buses in the Mumbai metropolitan region, 80 percent ferried school children and corporate executives and ran on CNG.

“Heavy vehicles that are more than eight years old do not ply within the city. Moreover, barely 15 percent of the heavy trucks, tempos and dumpers are not Bharat Stage 4/6 compliant. So, there is no question of trucks and heavy vehicles spreading air pollution,” said a member of the Maharashtra Rajya Truck, Tempo, Tankers, Bus Vahatuk Mahasangh.

Nearly 1.5-2 lakh trucks and tempos enter Mumbai everyday including those ferrying essential commodities, cement, debris, and garbage.

BOX: BMC’s SoP for vehicles to control air pollution

- Vehicles hauling construction material, debris should be covered.

- The load bearing capacity of vehicles must be adhered to, and frost spray should be applied during each shipment.

- Wheels of vehicles should be washed and cleaned after every consignment.

- CCTV should be installed at every construction site to ensure that vehicles are not carrying more than their capacity

- PUC test should be done on time