- (1.) Ia No. 142 has been filed by the Union of India with the following prayers: (A) direct that henceforth no new private (non-commercial) CNG vehicles be registered and no conversion of the existing private (non-commercial) vehicles to CNG mode be allowed by GNCTD and further direct that CNG be supplied from the earmarked CNG stations only to such private vehicles that are certified as duly registered up to the cut-off date by the registering authority of GNCTD; (B) direct/clarify that four-stroke petrol-driven autos plying on unleaded low benzene petrol, which has been observed by this Hon'ble court as "clean fuel" in its order dated 26-3-2001, be/can be registered in GNCTD; (C) direct freezing the number of autos/taxis/rtvs on CNG mode at the following level: (i) autos/taxis/rtvs registered up to now; plus (ii) autos/taxis to be registered by those who had placed firm orders by 31-3-2001 with the manufacturers/conversion agencies in compliance with the Court order of 26-3-2001. (D) direct that the city bus fleet in NCT may comprise of Bharat stage II emission-compliant buses using CNG or diesel as fuel, and that the bus operators have the option to ply Bharat Stage II emission-compliant buses using either CNG or 0. 05% sulphur diesel subject to such conditions as this Hon'ble Court may like to lay down; (E) direct that the number of autos/taxis mentioned in (c) (ii) above and the buses of those who opt for the CNG option, to be registered after 30-9-2001, be restricted to the following numbers, namely: (i) Autos/taxis 400-500 per month (ii) Buses 150-200 per month (f) allow the existing owners and operators of the autos/taxis/buses such time beyond 30-9-2001 as may be required to convert/replace their existing vehicles, at their option, to Bharat Stage II emission-compliant vehicles as per (c) (ii) and (d) above.
(2.) We have heard Mr Mukul Rohatgi, learned Additional solicitor-General as well as Mr Harish N. Salve, the learned amicus curiae and examined the record.
(3.) Our order dated 28-7-1998 with regard to conversion of entire city bus fleet (DTC and private) to single-fuel mode of CNG [direction (G) ] does not require any modification or change. That direction stands.;