Diesel car ban to cost $1.2 billion, affect BPO operations: Centre

The Centre today told the apex court that total ban diesel-run taxis in the Delhi-NCR region would adversely affect the lucrative BPO sector.

The Solicitor General explained to the Supreme Court that BPO offices might opt out of the region.

"The ban would affect the business generated by inter-city cabs engaged by the BPOs to ferry employees and this could cost India $1.2 billion," a report quoted the solicitor general’s statement put forward to the Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur.

Ranjith Kumar also added that the government will soon be speaking about safety concerns of the BPO employees.

Last week, a Supreme Court bench had banned taxis that run on diesel from plying on NCR roads. The cab operators were given a deadline of April 30 to switch to CNG.  

The centre explained to the court that CNG buses could not be used to ferry BPO employees as such buses can’t enter narrow lanes and by-lanes, which also can also affect the security of women employees.

The Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) told the court that diesel taxis can be phased out in next five years.

The EPCA observed that ban on diesel taxis will affect cabs with all-India permit as such vehicles might not find CNG availability in other travel destinations. The regulatory authority also appealed that from now only petrol and CNG taxis should be registered.    

The Delhi government told the court that the capital is experiencing inconvenience as 30,000 taxis were not running since the ban was imposed.

The affected taxi drivers blocked the roads in protest against this decision causing traffic snarls in arterial roads around the capital.  

The Supreme Court will hear the case again on Monday.