UP to levy 'green tax' on old vehicles

Lucknow, May 21 (IANS) All motor vehicles more than 15-years old will have to pay green tax in Uttar Pradesh soon, officials said.

The state cabinet has given a go ahead to the amendment in the UP Motor Vehicles Act and it has been decided that all such vehicles that have completed 15 years after their date of manufacturing will be registered again and 'green tax' would be levied on them at that time.

The move, a government spokesman said, had been necessitated to conserve the environment and had been initiated at the behest of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

The modalities of the 'green tax' would be announced soon and officials added that such a tax would be around seven percent in addition to the registration tax.

The government has also decided on bigger fines on commercial vehicles found involved in criminal activities.

This penalty would be slapped on offenders in a phased manner - Rs.4,000 the first time and Rs.7,500 thereafter.

The fine till now on such offences was Rs.5,000 on the first offence and none on the second. Transport department officials said that they would implement this by mid-June.