Government constitutes Sanjay Mitra committee to prepare policy framework for taxi operators

The Union Government has constituted a three member committee to prepare a policy framework for online taxi aggragators and other transport operators.
The committee will be headed by Sanjay Mitra, Secretary of Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.
Its other two members are Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and Delhi Transport Commissioner.
The committee was constituted after taxi and other transport operators had appraised the situation emerging from Supreme Court’s order and directions of Environment Pollution Control Authority of banning diesel taxis in the National Capital Region (NCR).
It will look into these issues and come up with appropriate recommendations to address the same in a time bound manner.
SC Rulings

• So far the apex court has given four rulings aimed at bringing down pollution levels in the NCR Delhi that has earned it the tag of the world’s most polluted city.
• Top court’s first order against diesel-run commercial vehicles came in December 2015. Later it issued an interim order banning registration of diesel-run vehicles with engine capacity of 2000 cc and above till March 31, 2016 and then was again extended till April 30, 2016.
• The apex court also had initially asked the diesel cab operators in the NCR to switch over to CNG by March 1, 2016. This deadline was later extended to March 31 and then to April 30, 2016.

Month: Current Affairs - May, 2016