Transporters threaten farmer-like suicides

Threaten move if their diesel vehicles are removed on the basis of age and not number of km travelled or pollution emission standards

Delhi transporters have threatened to commit farmer-like suicides in case their diesel vehicles are removed on the basis of age instead of number of kilometers travelled or pollution emission standards.

Such a statement has come from the Delhi Transporters Association (DTA) at a time when the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has extended its stay to May 18 on its April 7 order -- where it had revoked permission of any diesel vehicle more than 10 years old to ply on the roads of Delhi-NCR.

"The short extension of stay granted by the NGT is giving sleepless nights to the transporters as they are worried of their livelihood," said DTA in its statement. "The NGT is forcing the transporters to take some exteme steps, and going the way farmers are doing to commit suicide under the wheels of their own trucks, in the event of the very basis and source of their livelihood being snatched away by ordering more than 10 years old vehicles going off the roads," it added.

Saying the old vehicles do not automatically translate into excess kilometers, it has asked NGT to go by the number of kilometers covered and the emission of pollution rather than the age of the vehicle for taking it off the road.

It also asked the Centre and the state government to give concrete suggestions and frame proper policies to convince the NGT for a longer stay.

It also warned that in case the NGT order is implemented, lakhs of people associated with the transportation business will be left unemployed and there will be shortage of essential commodities, medicines etc. leading to hardships to the people and all round inflation.