The Auto Industry has always strived to be proactive in mitigating vehicular emissions and is bound to honour the verdict of the Supreme Court in the matter of Sales and Registration of BS VI Vehicles versus manufacture, with effect from 1st April 2020, despite the huge challenge this change in the date poses for the industry as a whole. This was stated by Rajan Wadhera, President, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) today.
Rajan Wadhera said that the Government had provided a clear window of 3 months for registering the small number of fully built vehicles and 6 months for Bus/Truck Chassis which may remain unsold with the dealer/manufacturer post 1st April 2020, after considering all aspects of the matter. However, the ongoing debate at the Supreme Court had created a huge ambiguity leading to policy uncertainty. While the verdict reads down a clear Gazette Notification issued by Government, it also puts to rest the big ambiguity haunting the industry for so long, said Mr. Wadhera. With this new clarity , the industry will have to put in much more effort and attention to meet the new target date of ensuring sales and registration of only BS VI vehicles from 1st April 2020 onwards.
This will be a tough and huge task, as the date of manufacturing BS VI vehicles will now have to be further preponed leading to still shorter time for vehicle testing and validation and even shorter lead time to the technology solution providers who have to optimise BS VI solutions for each vehicle model. The industry will put its best foot forward in efforts to comply with the Court Order, in the interest of improving the environment and its own commitment to the theme of ‘Building the Nation, Responsibly’, Mr. Wadhera added.
Wadhera also said that now, it has become even more critical that the BS VI fuel of the desired specification should be made available freely across the length and breadth of the country well before 1st April 2020 so that the industry could commence sales of the BS VI vehicles they will start manufacturing before the date of 1st April 2020. Any slippage in making fuel available in any part of the country will have serious implications as BS VI vehicles will not be able to operate optimally on lower grade fuels, Mr. Wadhera cautioned.
