Karnataka State Pollution Control Board bats for carpooling to curb vehicular emissions in Bengaluru

After the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP), the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has now urged the Transport Department to examine the feasibility of introducing a clear regulatory framework for non-commercial shared commuting and corporate carpooling initiatives in Bengaluru.

The letter, written by R. Gokul, member secretary of KSPCB, addressed to the commissioner of the Transport Department, cited the potential of such measures to reduce vehicular emissions and congestion in the city.

The letter comes in the backdrop of KSPCB, under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), implementing various measures to improve air quality in Bengaluru.

The KSPCB said that their Source Apportionment Study conducted for Bengaluru under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) found that vehicular emissions contributed nearly 40% of the overall Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 load, making them the single largest contributor to PM2.5 pollution. Meanwhile, road dust contributed approximately 51% of PM10 concentrations.