A plea was moved in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) by road transport experts seeking the introduction of “roll-on roll-off” (RORO) service for commercial vehicles older than 10 years. The plea also sought a “feasible” solution to the problem of vehicular air pollution.
RORO is a service wherein loaded trucks are carried on railway wagons between two destinations. The plea was filed by urban transport experts Kailash Mishra and Himani Jain, who sought intervention in the case related to air pollution.
Advocate Sanjay Upadhyay, who appeared for the two, said if the RORO service is introduced by Railways, the trucks will cross Delhi without causing pollution.
“Keeping in mind the heavy inflow of diesel vehicles in the NCR, the applicants propose to introduce RORO service for transporting all heavy, medium and light commercial vehicles —irrespective of their age or fitness level — transiting through Delhi and NCR region… The roll-on-roll-off train service is provided by the Northern Railway at a cost lower than road transport cost,” the plea said. The plea also quoted the example of the Konkan Railway, which has been has been operating RORO service for fully loaded trucks for the last 16 years and have transported approximately five lakh trucks during this period.
Though the NGT bench issued a notice to the Ministry of Railways, directing them to reply by May 18, it observed,“There are no trains for human beings, you want it for trucks”. The bench further said “no train” reaches the capital’s stations “on time”.
The Ghaziabad Mahanagar Goods Transport Welfare Association also moved a plea seeking modification of the Tribunal’s order banning plying of diesel vehicles over 10 years old in Delhi-NCR.
