Calcutta imposes old vehicle ban

Source: BBC

Page last updated at 09:00 GMT, Saturday, 1 August 2009 10:00 UK

A ban on commercial vehicles more than 15 years old has come into force in the Indian city of Calcutta, as part of efforts to reduce pollution levels.

The restriction affects thousands of buses, taxis and rickshaws. Transport operators have criticised the decision and threatened to go on strike.

A recent study showed 70% of residents suffered respiratory problems, including lung cancer and asthma.

Many in Calcutta welcome the move but worry about how they will get to work.


Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8179512.stm

One that buys old cars and you don't HAVE to replace them. There are people who have ended up with 2 or 3 old cars that have little re-sale/trade-in value, but are so cheap to register & insure, that they keep them as "back-ups".

These are the "beaters" that keep being bought & sold for a few hundred bucks, and seem to stay in service forever.. We had one until quite recently.. a, '86 Corolla wagon, bought for $500 and solds & resold within our family for that same $500 at least 3 times. It ran & ran, even though it had over 200K miles on it. It finally met its "maker" when a kid my son sold it to, did not register & insure it & got it impounded.. within 3 days the impound fee was more than it was worth..


They could do an "oldie clunker" deal that allowed people to trade up on a used vehicle, that would encourage people to either trade up or relinquish those old cars they have been hanging onto.

i've been to calcutta three times, and each time i got a horrendous sinus infection. the diesel fumes blasting from all the cars and buses is just stifling.

Set a date, say August 1, 2015, by which all heavy-duty on-road diesels made from 2002 to 2006 need to meet 2007 emissions standards, and all engines older than 2002 need to meet 2002 standards.

Then set August 1, 2025, as the date all trucks need to meet the next higher emission standard.

This country's still full of 1970s-era trucks that pollute like 1970s-era trucks did.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=738_1249134744

I trust they know what they are doing