New Delhi:
The Supreme Court on Wednesday deliberated over making hologram-based colour-coded stickers for vehicles mandatory across the country and stressed on the effective implementation of the pollution under control (PUC) certificate norms.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan also asked about the applicability of the stringent GRAP-4 curbs amid a rising trend in the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi.
Asking senior advocate Aparajita Singh, who is assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the matter, to prepare a note, the bench said it would issue directions to the Centre to amend the Motor Vehicles (High Security Registration Plates) Order, 2018.
“Prepare a note and in terms of that, we will issue directions to the Government of India to amend that order of 2018,” it said.
The bench asked Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, who represented the Centre in the matter, whether GRAP-4 (Graded Response Action Plan) was in place as the AQI was approaching 480.
“Look at the level of pollution. It is almost approaching 480-490,” the bench said.
Bhati said she would get a response on the issue.
The bench then proceeded to deal with the issue concerning hologram-based colour-coded stickers for vehicles.
The amicus said even in the National Capital Region (NCR) states, all the older vehicles have not been provided the third registration mark and the progress in this regard is very slow.
“These rules are applicable from April 1, 2019. What happens to the earlier period?” the bench asked.
One of the lawyers said even for vehicles registered prior to April 1, 2019, the third registration mark has to be affixed.
“Let us be very clear. This requirement comes for the first time on April 1, 2019…. How do we direct that owners of vehicles, which are registered prior to April 1, 2019, should get this hologram affixed?” the bench asked.
The amicus flagged the issue of non-compliance of the PUC certificate norms.
The bench asked the amicus to also deal with the PUC aspect in her note, so that the norms could be implemented more effectively.
“This also is very crucial. If that rule is not complied with, then there are so many polluting vehicles on the roads,” it said.
The court added that public sector undertakings and government agencies can be asked to purchase electric vehicles as far as possible.
The bench, which deliberated over the schedule for hearing various aspects related to pollution, including stubble burning, said the matter relating to hologram-based colour-coded stickers for vehicles would be considered on January 27.
Earlier this month, the top court had stressed the need for hologram-based colour-coded stickers for vehicles to tackle air pollution, saying it was considering making the stickers mandatory in states and Union territories beyond the NCR.
In 2018, the court had accepted a proposal of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), which envisaged that hologram-based light blue stickers would be used in vehicles using petrol and CNG in the NCR, whereas diesel-run vehicles would have orange stickers.
These stickers, which facilitate in identifying vehicles based on the fuel used, were also supposed to include the dates of registration of the vehicles.
Following the court’s order, the Centre amended Rule 50 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 and the High Security Registration Plate (HSRP) order of 2001 to give a legal recognition to the scheme of hologram-based stickers.
The bench had said it might extend the 2018 direction to other states and Union territories by exercising its plenary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution.
The top court had earlier observed that its December 13, 2023 direction to strictly enforce the scheme was not complied with.
The issue of colour-coded stickers for vehicles cropped up when the court was hearing a matter relating to air pollution in Delhi-NCR.
The NCR states include Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
The colour-coded sticker scheme was initially suggested by the amicus curiae to enable identification of vehicles and restrict the movement of vehicles using bad-quality fuel during “poor category” pollution days.
On August 13, 2018, the top court, in a first, gave its nod to the Centre’s proposal of hologram-based colour-coded stickers for vehicles, indicating the nature of fuel they were using.
It had suggested to the MoRTH to consider having green-coloured number plates or green stickers for electric and hybrid vehicles.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
