New Delhi: The Government has proposed introducing Bharat Stage VII (BS-VII) emission standards for light commercial vehicles from April 1, 2030, as part of efforts to further reduce vehicular pollution.
According to a draft notification issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the new norms will initially apply to category N1 vehicles, which are primarily used for transporting goods and have a gross vehicle weight of up to 3.5 tonnes.
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The ministry has invited public comments on the proposed amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, within 30 days before finalising the regulations.
The proposed BS-VII standards will be implemented in three stages, beginning April 2020 \[sic—2030\], followed by additional requirements from April 2032 and April 2035.
The new regulations seek to impose stricter limits on harmful pollutants, including nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and particulate matter, to improve air quality and reduce emissions from commercial vehicles.
However, the proposed standards will apply prospectively and will not affect vehicles already on the road, including those compliant with existing BS-VI norms.
India currently follows BS-VI emission standards, which came into force nationwide in April 2020 and significantly tightened permissible vehicle emissions.
Bharat Stage standards regulate pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and particulate matter released by motor vehicles.
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Broadly aligned with European emission regulations, these standards are periodically upgraded to encourage cleaner automotive technologies and progressively reduce pollution from the transport sector.
The proposed transition to BS-VII would mark another step in India's efforts to tighten emission regulations, requiring automobile manufacturers to adopt cleaner technologies for new vehicles covered by the standards.
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