Toll collecting firm moves SC on levy of ECC from trucks

SMYR Consortium LLP, which has been levying toll on behalf of MCD from commercial vehicles entering Delhi, today moved the Supreme Court expressing its inability to also collect the court-mandated 'Environment Compensation Charge' (ECC) from such vehicles.
The petition was mentioned for urgent hearing before a bench comprising Chief Justice H L Dattu and Justice Arun Mishra which said that it would hear it.
The plea of SMYR Consortium, which has a toll-collection pact with MCD, assumes significance as the apex court's direction to levy Rs 700 and Rs 1,300 ECC will come into effect from November 1 and would remain operational for a period of four months till February 29, 2016 on "experimental basis".

The Consortium has alleged that the levy of court-mandated ECC is beyond the terms of agreement entered into between it and the civic body.
The court had imposed the 'Environment Compensation Charge' on commercial vehicles entering Delhi, in addition to the toll tax, from November 1 for four months on a trial basis, in a bid to check high pollution levels in the city.
It had directed the Delhi Government to issue appropriate notification in this regard.
The bench, however had said that passenger buses, vehicles carrying essential commodities, food articles and ambulances would be exempted from paying the 'environment compensation charge'.

Taking note of Centre for Science and Environment study that about 23 per cent of the commercial vehicles and 40-60 per cent of the heavy trucks entering the city were not destined for Delhi, the court had said it was necessary to impose the charges, along with the MCD toll, to equalize the difference in cost in travelling through alternative routes.