With the Supreme Court set to take up the matter of ban on diesel cars and SUVs on Monday, the world’s largest automaker Toyota said continued restrictions on vehicles complying with all regulations would be the “worst advertisement of India”.
The ban has been imposed on diesel vehicles with an engine capacity of above 2,000 cc in Delhi and NCR.
Operating as a joint venture in India with the Kirloskar group, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, is among the worst hit. It has not been selling its popular vehicles – Innova and SUV Fortuner – in Delhi-NCR, since the ban was imposed in December last year.
If we don’t get a breakthrough on Monday, our vehicles despite being compliant of all regulations in India would continue to be banned. That’s the worst advertisement of India.Shekhar Vishwanathan to PTI
Shekhar Vishwanathan is the Toyota Kirloskar Motor vice-chairman and whole-time director.
Stating that the environment lobby is not adequately informed, he said, “Does the ban suggest that other diesel, petrol and CNG-driven vehicles don’t pollute? Why is the ban only on 2,000 cc and above diesel cars and SUVs?”
On the company’s plans in case the ban stays, Viswanathan said they will sit out of markets where the ban is imposed. Changing specifications to suit the market might lead to undesirability among customers.
He cautioned that there would be “losses, laying off of people and hardships for dealerships” in the auto industry if other cities seek a similar ban on such diesel vehicles. “While the latest BS-IV compliant cleaner vehicles are banned, old vehicles of pre-BS era, BS I, I and III continue to pollute”, he said, questioning the ban’s rationale.
The Supreme Court asked the Delhi police to pay 30 percent of the real value of new vehicles for getting registered, as an environment compensation cess.
That would be too much of a burden for ordinary customers.Vishwanathan on the environment cess
Besides Toyota, manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar Land Rover and Mahindra & Mahindra are the major automobile firms hit by the ban. The automobile industry has been against the ban, saying such restrictions will not help achieve the desired objective of reducing pollution and will only vilify diesel technology. Maruti Suzuki India chairman RC Bhargava had termed the ban as “totally arbitrary”.
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