JAYANTA BASU

The chief minister at the pollution control board programme. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya
Environment minister Sailen Sarkar on Tuesday denied colleague Subhas Chakraborty's allegation that the notification on the withdrawal of 15-year-old commercial vehicles was issued keeping the transport department in the dark.

To help clear the city's air of pollution, especially on account of emissions from auto-rickshaws, the state government has mooted a proposal for the replacement of all diesel-run auto-rickshaws. The proposal at present is still being discussed.

Auto rickshaws, if the proposal materialises at all, will henceforth run either on compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

Hyderabad, July 21: Air pollution levels in the city are shooting up rapidly because of the exponential rise in the number of vehicles. "On an average, 600 new vehicles are entering our roads every day," said a senior transport official. This has been causing the air pollution to go beyond acceptable levels. For instance, the total suspended particulate matter (TSPM) in the air should be 200 milligram per cubic metre but the average value being recorded in the twin cities is 280 milligram per cubic metre.

The Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM) has flayed allowing import of 10 years old Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses from India, announced in the Trade Policy 2008-09. Chairman PAAPAM, A Malik said Monday that Pakistan would become a junkyard of used machinery as a result of measures announced in recent Trade Policy. He said after five years of use in public transport, the buses would lose their efficiency and after 10 years would outlive their utility. staff report

Lahore High Court has barred the Punjab government from levying luxury tax retrospectively on luxurious vehicles over 2000CC registered after June 30, 2005 under the Punjab Finance Act, 2008. Sources told Business Recorder on Monday that provincial government has levied luxury tax through Section 6 of the Punjab Finance Act, 2008.

Old, polluting vehicles are on their way out
Transport minister Subhas Chakraborty on Monday expressed surprise at the high court order to phase out 15-year-old commercial vehicles but added his government would implement the directive.

JAYANTA BASU

The environment department will be drafting a package of incentives to make the city's transport lobby fall in line with its clean-air notification that the high court converted into a verdict last Friday.

Transport unions have threatened to contest the order in the Supreme Court, saying they would need substantial financial support to obey it.

NEW DELHI: Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora on Sunday urged Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Minister of State for Urban Development Ajay Maken to help in allotment of land for setting up of 50 more CNG filling stations in the Capital and support the expansion programme of Indraprastha Gas Limited.

Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) plans to produce 100,000 units a year of a new hybrid-only model slated for release in 2009 at a subsidiary in southern Japan, the Nikkei business daily reported on Saturday.

The new car, which will be Toyota's second dedicated hybrid model after the hot-selling Prius, will have a 2- to 2.5-litre engine and will also be sold under the company's luxury Lexus brandname, the paper said.

Rajat Guha NEW DELHI

IN ORDER to fix stricter fuel economy standards, the government has mooted a calibrated duty structure for cars based on their fuel efficiency. The less fuel efficient a car is, more would be the excise duty