Bharat Stage IV norms: Guj HC dismisses plea against RTO order

The Gujarat High Court recently dismissed a plea filed by the Ahmedabad Automobile Association against the Regional Transport Office (RTO) here for not permitting transfer of vehicles manufactured on or before April 1, 2010, in Ahmedabad and Surat on the ground that they do not comply with Bharat Stage-IV norms.

The Union government had issued instructions for the implementation of Bharat Stage IV norms for four-wheelers in the National Capital Region and cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Kanpur, Pune, Surat and Agra with effect from April 1, 2010.

Bharat StageIII compliant vehicles manufactured upto March 31, 2010 would be eligible for registration in these cities for some time after April 1, 2010, till the accumulated stock is exhausted, it had said.

The state authority issued a circular dated June 19, 2010 for implementation of the Centre's instruction.

Rejecting the AAA's appeal, the division bench of Justices RM Chhaya and BN Karia, in its order, stated that such re-registration in the garb of transfer, if permitted, would make it impossible to maintain emission standards and norms prescribed for cities like Ahmedabad and Surat.

The order said the insistence on part of authorities for meeting emission norms as provided under Motor Vehicles Act is "proper and legal".