The tax will be charged at all entry points to Delhi. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra) The tax will be charged at all entry points to Delhi. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)

After a six-day delay in the implementation of the Environment Compensation Charge or ‘environment cess’ on trucks entering Delhi, the concessionaire — SYMR Consortium LLP — has begun to collect the tax at its toll booths.

From Saturday, apart from the toll tax, an environment tax to the tune of Rs 700 on light-duty vehicles and Rs 1,300 for three-axle vehicles and above, would be charged at all entry points to the national capital. However, trucks “destined to Delhi” will not have to pay the environment cess; only trucks passing through the capital would have to pay it.

The new tax, implemented on the directions of the Supreme Court, would lead to at least a 30 per cent drop in the number of trucks entering Delhi, according to the concessionaire.

“In the following days, we are expecting the traffic entering Delhi to come down by at least 30 per cent. This was the point of levying a heavy tax and we believe that the move will help achieve the objectives specified by the court,” a spokesperson for the toll collection company told The Indian Express.

The delay in the collection of environment cess was due to the concessionaire’s queries concerning the implementation of the tax.

On Wednesday, the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) had held a meeting with officials at the state and municipal corporations, and prepared an 11-point reply to the reservations expressed by the concessionaire.

“The delay by the concessionaire was a clear violation of the Supreme Court’s orders. We hope there will be no more delays in the process and authorities at the state, Centre and municipal corporations will work in unison to ensure some regulation in trucks entering Delhi,” said Sunita Narain, member of EPCA.

The EPCA, appointed by the Supreme Court, has also provided a map of alternate routes to reach the states located around Delhi, after reports of complaints by truck drivers passing through the capital to reach these destinations. The agency has asked state governments to conduct a survey to identify how many of these identified roads are usable. “We have already made a map of the alternate routes. After a survey on how many of these are usable, we will ask that this information be provided to truck drivers at the tolls. Many truck drivers apparently complained of lack of alternate routes,” said Narain.

The consortium will collect this tax on behalf of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), which would be deposited in the account of the Delhi government through the transport department every Friday. The toll collected by the concessionaire goes to the coffers of the SDMC.

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