New Delhi, Jan 17 (IANS): The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre to respond on a PIL seeking faster conversion of public transport into electric vehicles (EVs) to safeguard the common people from the increasing menace of air pollution, which directly impacts their health.

A bench, headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and Surya Kant was hearing a plea filed by NGO, the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, alleging the government is moving at snail pace, and not much is done to implement the policy to convert public transport and government vehicles into EVs.

After a brief hearing on the matter, the court issued notice to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and asked it to reply within four weeks.

Lawyer Prashant Bhushan, representing the NGO, said the government scheme to convert vehicles to EV, was a crucial measure to curb air pollution and contain carbon emissions, which contributes to global warming.

He also raised the crucial issue of developing charging infrastructure to support the EVs.

Last year in March, the top court had asked the Centre to apprise it on the measures taken to implement this scheme.

The National Electric Mobility Mission Plan, 2020 (NEMMP-2020) of the Ministry of Heavy Industries was brought out in 2015 to incentivise the usage of electric vehicles.

The plea sought implementation of the recommendations under NEMMP-2020, contending that the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid and) Electric Vehicles in India scheme (FAME India), meant for implementing the policy, has not done much in adopting the NEMMP-2020 recommendations.

The plea said the policy is missing the drive to promote hybrid and electric vehicles as the first choice of the consumers.