It refers to welcome news that only e-scooters (two-wheelers) will be sold in the country after 2025 while in respect of three wheelers, the deadline is even earlier of 2020. Since two-wheelers constitute major portion of total vehicle-sale in the country, ban on two-wheelers and three-wheelers other than driven by pre-charged electric-engines will effectively check pollution.
However till phenomenon of exclusively sold e-cars becomes a dream come true, cars should be allowed to be sold only with petrol-engines fitted with CNG-kit. Production and sale of cars driven by diesel-engines should be altogether banned with immediate effect. Production of diesel-driven cars is gross misuse of having price of diesel less than that of petrol only for keeping cost of public-transportation less.
Also since big cars occupy more space in road and parking, their production should be discouraged also because these cars are purchased and used by affording rich. GST, road-tax, insurance and other levies on cars with ex-showroom price say above rupees ten lakhs should be doubled. There should be a complete ban on loans on costlier cars. Only economical cars should be purchased by central and state governments and their public-sector-undertakings including even for judges of higher courts, ministers and top bureaucrats except required for use by foreign dignitaries visiting India that too on permission from Union Ministry of External Affairs.
MADHU AGRAWAL