Added on May 30, 2016  The News Wheel   , ,
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India May Ban Diesel Cars in 11 More Cities

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We have followed the odd car ban in Delhi since the city government first initiated a trial car ban program back at the start of January, because this would be a good indication of how well such bans work in developing markets and how they affect the car industry.

Now, the national government’s National Green Tribunal is discussing whether or not to ban diesel-engine cars in a further 11 cities. Doing so will help bring down diesel-caused air pollution, but critics are warning that expanding bans in this way could have a hugely negative effect, particularly on automakers and the manufacturing jobs that they bring.

The diesel ban in Delhi (which bans the registration of diesel vehicles with over 2,000cc of engine size), according to NDTV, has already gotten rid of 5,000 jobs by cutting vehicle production in and around the city by 11,000 units.

On top of that, automotive companies have been criticizing the bans as unscientific and uncalled for, and that, if expanded to encompass the whole country, the bans would cost the country 47,000 jobs, not to mention laying to waste the investments of manufacturers that have gone to develop better emissions technology for diesels. Some manufacturers are already concerned with the existing bans, with some (including Toyota) reconsidering whether bringing diesel cars to India is even worth the trouble.

So, with public health and a generous portion of the country’s car-building economy on the line, the NGT has ordered a “complete and comprehensive” study on population density, car density, and pollution levels of the cities where the bans are being considered before any decision will be made.

If the diesel bans come in to force, several metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad will be affected.

News Source: Car and Bike by NDTV