After years of lambasting US vehicle efficiency standards as being weaker than those of China, green campaigners delighted in the stronger measures proposed by President Barack Obama, writes Fiona Harvey in London .

Rates charged by three-wheeler drivers are to be standardized, streamlined, and made applicable countrywide, the Transport Ministry said.

It said it had also taken steps to provide a special advisory scheme to three wheel drivers.

This measure is among a series of steps taken by the Ministry to introduce new standards for such vehicles which provide transport facilities to the public.

Ministry of Environment has decided to enforce Euro-II emission standards for all new petrol driven imported and locally manufactured vehicles from July this year and the same standard would be applicable for diesel driven automobiles from July 2012.

The government has decided to do something important about vehicular emissions that have reached highly dangerous levels. Federal Ministry of Environment told the National Assembly on Monday that all petrol-run vehicles would be required to comply with Euro-II emission standards with effect from July.

The Ministry of Environment has set itself a challenging task of introducing Euro-II emission standards for petrol driven vehicles from July this year and for diesel driven automobiles from July 2012.