Telangana: Sales of SUVs rising fast; 20 vehicles get registered every day

Hyderabad: There are over 45,900 diesel vehicles of over 2,000cc engine capacity in Telangana State and the numbers are only rising. On an average, about 20 vehicles of 2,000cc or higher engine capacities are registered with the RTA offices at various places in the city, each day.

Dealers maintain that Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and Multi-Utility Vehicles (MUVs), be it petrol or diesel version, now comply with Bharat Stage-IV (BS-IV) emission norms and say that there is no need to impose a ban on even those that are above 2,000cc.

Y. Ramakoteshwara Rao, president of Motor Vehicle Dealers Association, said sales of SUVs and MUVs have picked up and a ban could disrupt and affect dealers and the automotive industry as a whole.

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“Since 2000, all cars, including SUVs and MUVs, have been complying with pollution restriction norms. Now, Bharat Stage-IV standards are being followed without which a vehicle will not be registered at RTA offices,” he said.

Joint Transport Commissioner Panduranga Rao said the life tax for SUVs and MUVs is 14 per cent of the total cost of the vehicle. Any ban on over 2,000cc vehicles will result in a loss of nearly Rs 100 crore per annum, to the government.

Telangana State Pollution Control Board senior scientist Mr Ravinder said they have submitted the data of diesel vehicles to the National Green Tribunal. “Hyderabad is not among the cities with high air pollution levels like Delhi. We are collecting vehicle data from even Ranga Reddy district. The next hearing of the NGT is on July 11.”