Kolkata, 11 June (H.S.):

In a significant development, the Calcutta High Court has approved the West Bengal government’s policy allowing 15-year-old commercial vehicles to continue operating on Kolkata’s roads, provided they meet stringent fitness and pollution control norms.

The court’s decision comes in response to a policy proposal made by the state government, which was formulated after considering appeals from bus operators and transport associations. While environmental concerns remain paramount, the government had argued that removing all old vehicles from service at once would severely disrupt the city’s public transportation network.

Under the new directive, commercial vehicles older than 15 years will now be required to undergo fitness tests twice a year. Only those that pass these inspections will be allowed to operate. Additionally, owners of such vehicles will need to pay an extra ₹100 for pollution checks with each fitness certificate, which will remain valid for six months.

The High Court emphasized that the allowance comes with strict conditions to ensure roadworthiness and environmental compliance. The court has instructed the state government to submit a draft of the new guidelines on June 17. These guidelines will be finalized based on the court’s recommendations and subsequently issued as a formal public notification.

A high-level meeting between the state transport department and bus operators was held earlier this week, where stakeholders agreed that an abrupt removal of all aging commercial vehicles would be impractical and could destabilize urban transit services.

The state government clarified that it is pursuing a balanced approach — aiming to protect environmental interests while ensuring the continuity of essential public transport through regulated, conditional usage of older vehicles.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh