Mumbai, Aug 5 (IANS): The Maharashtra government Wednesday decided to impose an environment tax, ranging from Rs.750 to Rs.3,500 for five years, on old public and private vehicles and plough back the proceeds on various pollution control measures, an official said.

The government has decided to tax commercial vehicles which are eight years old and non-commercial or private vehicles which are 15 years old.

The proceeds from the environment tax would be used for implementing various pollution control measures, providing clean fuel and introduction of advanced pollution check tests.

Besides reducing pollution, the move is designed to discourage the use of old vehicles, an official said after a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Ashok Chavan this evening.

According to the norms decided, a private vehicle which has completed 15 years since the day of registration would be charged an environment tax of Rs.2,000 in the category of two-wheelers, for the next five years.

Other such vehicles in the category of petrol vehicles and diesel vehicles will have to pay Rs.3,000 and Rs.3,500 respectively, for the next five years.

Petrol and diesel commercial vehicles which have completed eight years and CNG commercial vehicles over 15 years old shall be required to pay environment tax of Rs.750, for five years.

For auto-rickshaws and six-passenger capacity metered taxis the tax has been fixed at Rs 1,250 and tourist taxis and light-capacity vehicles it will be Rs.2500, for five years.

Transport vehicles with a load capacity of 7.5 tonne and above would be additionally charged a percentage of their annual tax which in the category of medium weight and articulated cargo vehicle would be 10 percent, contract permit buses 2.5 percent, private service vehicle permit vehicles 2.5 percent and tourist buses 2.5 percent.

The government has also decided to set up a separate regional transport office at Panvel in Raigad and sub-regional transport offices at Vasai in Thane district, and Borivali in north-west Mumbai, to help decongest the existing transport offices in Mumbai and Thane.

Henceforth, the government will crack down harder on road indiscipline and violation of traffic rules - it has enhanced by three times all fines and penalties currently charged for any breach of law under various sections of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.