Kolkata, Oct. 13 -- The state Transport department plans to identify at least 4,000 polluting vehicles every month in Kolkata, Howrah and adjoining districts using a mobile remote sensing device (RSD) that measures emissions from moving vehicles without requiring them to stop.
The department has invited e-tenders to engage an agency to operate and maintain the existing device for 36 months, with a provision to extend the contract by another year. Mounted on a mobile van, the equipment will be deployed at locations specified by the department for at least 20 days every month.
The RSD, which has been operating in Kolkata since November 2009, measures carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and smoke emissions from petrol, diesel, CNG and LPG vehicles. It also captures images of vehicles, including their registration plates, and records their speed and acceleration during testing.
According to the tender issued by the Transport Directorate, the selected agency will have to collect and process emission data and compare the readings with prescribed standards. It must identify at least 4,000 vehicles exceeding the emission standards every month. Notices will be issued only to vehicles classified as gross polluters under separate pass/fail criteria.
Each notice, accompanied by a photograph of the vehicle and its emission data, must be sent to the registered owner, with a copy to the concerned regional or assistant regional transport office. The agency must also send daily, system-generated SMS alerts to the vehicle owner.
The tender provides for a deduction of Rs 20 per vehicle if the agency identifies fewer than 4,000 polluting vehicles in a month. If the agency fails to deploy the equipment for at least 20 days in a month, it must make up for the shortfall within the following three months. Failure to do so will attract a penalty of 5 per cent of the monthly bill for each day of default.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.