The BMTC has dedicated to switching over to smooth and inexperienced gas via way of means of scrapping 2,715 buses belonging to Bharat Stage-II and III, that are stated to be 10 instances extra polluting than BS-VI buses, via way of means of 2025. In a sworn statement earlier than the National Green Tribunal, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) stated that it’d update 1,033 BS-III buses via way of means of the cease of March with BS-VI or electric powered motors. It additionally dedicated to changing 550 BS-II buses via way of means of March 2023, 650 via way of means of March 2024 and 482 via way of means of March 2025.
In addition, 3,797 BS-VI motors which can be vintage than eleven years can also be replaced. In the affidavit, the BMTC eliminated a line that stated the transition to less-polluting motors can happen “handiest if budget are furnished via way of means of the authorities of Karnataka for buy of recent buses”.
The NGT has been listening to a petition filed via way of means of one Vinay Shivananda Naik for adopting green CNG buses. In its response, the BMTC submitted that the emission norms statistics furnished via way of means of the income supervisor of Ashok Leyland that diesel motors are extra environment-pleasant than the CNG BS-VI norms motors”. At the preceding listening to, the NGT had directed the BMTC now no longer to shirk its obligation via way of means of evaluating itself with personal motors.
In its affidavit, the transporter said that as compared with eighty lakh motors in Bengaluru, it runs handiest 6,512 buses, which places its percentage of emissions “now no longer even 0.09%”. The NGT had sought a concrete motion plan from the BMTC for changing vintage diesel motors with new inexperienced and smooth-gas motors in a shorter timeline. “Then this tribunal can take delivery of their motion plan and by skip suitable orders giving path to put into effect the same,” it stated.
