One family-one car policy premature: NGT

NEW DELHI: Terming it “premature”, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has refused to entertain a plea seeking directions for formulation of a registration policy of private vehicles in accordance with “one family, one car” norm in Delhi-NCR.

Disposing of the plea, a bench headed by acting chairperson Justice U.D. Salvi allowed the petitioner to approach the authority concerned.

The petition was filed by advocate Sajan K. Singh who, sought directions for formulation of a holistic policy for registration of private vehicles in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) so that only one car is permitted to be registered in one residential unit.

In the plea, Mr Singh said that there was a threat to human lives due to environmental degradation caused by carbon emissions from numerous private and commercial vehicles.

“The period between 1981 and 2001 saw a phenomenal increase in the growth of vehicle and traffic in Delhi. There has been a rise in per capita trip rate (excluding walk trips) from 0.72 in 1981 to 0.87 in 2001. Keeping in view the population growth, this tra-nslates into an increase from 45 lakh trips to around 118 lakh trips.

The population of motor vehicles has increased from 5.13 lakh in 1981 to 32.38 lakh in 2001, and the number of buses has increased from 8,600 to 41,483 during this period,” the plea said.