SC says it is mulling over allowing 25,000 more autos in Delhi

The Supreme Court asked senior advocate Aparajita Singh to submit a report within four weeks that should contain empirical data as well as ascertain how many vehicles Delhi roads can tolerate.

The Supreme Court indicated its willingness on Monday to lift the cap it had imposed on the number of auto rickshaws that can operate on Delhi roads, saying it is mulling over increasing the same by 25,000.

In an effort to reduce pollution in the national capital, the Supreme Court had directed the Delhi government in 1997 to cap the total number of new autorickshaw permits. (Virendra Singh Gosain/HT PHOTO)

In an effort to reduce pollution in the national capital, the court had directed the Delhi government in 1997 to cap the total number of new autorickshaw permits. In 1998, the Delhi government had launched an incentive programme to replace the existing autorickshaws, which were run on petrol, with those running on compressed natural gas (CNG), which is less polluting. In 2011, the apex court restricted the number of autos on city roads to 100,000.

A special bench comprising Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Deepak Gupta said it would modify its order (of 2011) to allow more auto rickshaws to ply once it receives a report from the Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority (EPCA) on the impact of such an increase.

The court asked senior advocate Aparajita Singh, assisting the bench in the matter, to submit a report within four weeks that should contain empirical data as well as ascertain how many vehicles Delhi roads can tolerate.

The matter was taken up for consideration following an application filed last year by Bajaj Auto seeking a removal of the cap. Both, the Delhi government and the EPCA – a court-appointed monitoring body – had supported Bajaj Auto’s application.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government told the Supreme Court that it agreed with the EPCA report that the limit of autos on Delhi roads can amplified, provided the vehicles are “BS-VI CNG/petrol/LPG etc (positive ignition based technology) or battery operated”.

Bajaj Auto had contended that its autorickshaw vehicles are equipped with a new technology which is “more environment-friendly” and that the public transport system in the city needs to be strengthened. The EPCA has stated that as CNG fuel is available in most areas of the national Capital region, the registration of BS-VI CNG fuelled, three-wheeler vehicles may start immediately and the cap of one lakh on the number of registrations may be done away with.