Emission norms: About 1,300 vehicles of city police to be withdrawn by December 31

KOLKATA: To comply with the order of the vehicle fuel emission norms about 1300 vehicles of Kolkata Police will be withdrawn by December 31.

According to sources, maximum of the heavy vehicles such as prison vans, buses and other vehicles carrying goods of Kolkata Police will have to be discontinued. As a result a major problem is expected to occur with the vehicles that are still in service. However, Kolkata Police officials are claiming that no problem will arise as the city police own a large number of BS IV compliant vehicles and a few BS VI compliant vehicles.

"As per the order of Green Bench, vehicles with private number aged more than 15 years will have to be withdrawn. For the commercial vehicles, all vehicles except BS VI compliant ones will have to be withdrawn. We are going to execute the order as it is," said a senior official of Kolkata Police. Sources informed among the vehicles that are going to be withdrawn from service, most of them are Light Motor Vehicle. While about 770 LMVs will be out of service by this year, around 50 buses, prison vans and such heavy vehicles will be out of service by December 31.

These apart, around 480 are two wheelers, mostly bullets. Among them about 50 motorcycles in service with the traffic department are going to be withdrawn. However, no decision has been taken regarding how many cars of which maker and model will be purchased to replace the vehicles that are going to be withdrawn. It may be mentioned that several vehicles that are BS III compliant are still in service with the Kolkata Police. Several old two wheelers that were withdrawn from the traffic department have been given to the police stations

for patrolling.