Delhi government seeks relaxation in diesel cab ban

New Delhi, May 3 (IANS) The city government on Tuesday urged the Supreme Court to relax its order banning cabs operating on diesel and petrol, as protesting taxi drivers created a gridlock in large parts of the national capital region for the second day running.

The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice T. S. Thakur asked the Delhi government to give a roadmap for phasing out diesel cabs and switching over to cleaner compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel.

The government told the court that they will file a roadmap by Tuesday evening after which the matter was listed to be heard on Wednesday.

The court said its order to ban diesel and petrol taxis was not to cause any inconvenience to the people but to curb rising pollution levels in the capital city, considered to be one of the worst polluted in the world.

“We also don’t intent to create a human problem but whenever such measures are taken it does lead to some inconvenience,” the bench said.

The Delhi government said it was “fully committed for tackling pollution”.

“However, a problem has arisen for the citizens."