The National Green Tribunal (NGT) today asked Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland, which supply buses to Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), why these vehicles caused noise pollution on roads and directed them to submit details, including their designs.
“All these buses which you have designed, why are they so noisy? DTC is planning to procure 10,000 buses. Why don’t you design such buses where the seat of the driver is at a lower level so that he has greater vision on the roads. This would help in minimising the accidents,” a bench headed by NGT Chaiperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.
“The buses which you supply should be smaller in size. Can you supply buses which would be (used as) link buses,” the bench said favouring smaller buses during lean traffic period.
The Tribunal had issued notices to Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland companies through their Managing Directors and directed their senior-most officials to appear before it.
Earlier, the Tribunal had flayed DTC for running its air-conditioned buses without passengers for a major part of the day.
“Unfortunately, we also live in Delhi. Your huge buses ply empty for at least five hours a day. Have you rationalized this aspect? It is shocking that nobody listens in DTC. Your buses are more than overcrowded.
“We are thinking about afternoon when most of your AC buses, which have a capacity of 60, are empty. After 9:30 PM, most of your buses which go to airport have only one or two passengers. You are wasting government revenue, creating traffic chaos and causing environmental pollution,” the bench had said.
