[sustran] Indian official calls German cars 'criminal'

[Todd Edelman]

Indian official calls German cars 'criminal'
http://www.thelocal.de/national/20101112-31139.html

India’s Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh attacked German automakers on 
Friday, saying driving big-engined luxury models from BMW and 
Mercedes-Benz in his country was “criminal.”

Expressing his wish for better fuel efficiency in India, Ramesh said 
people should not be encouraged to buy vehicles such as powerful German 
luxury cars and gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles.

“The luxurious growth of large-size vehicles like SUVs is really a 
growth of concern, use of vehicles like SUVs and BMW in countries like 
India is criminal,” he said at a UN function in New Delhi, according to 
news agency IANS.

"I think we seriously need to think about fuel policy regime," he added, 
suggesting that these luxury models were still made because they run on 
subsidised diesel fuel, making the real beneficiaries the owners of 
"BMWs, the Benzs and Hondas," IANS reported.

The country should levy extra fees and mandatory fuel efficiency 
standards on these cars, the minister suggested.

"We cannot ask people to buy or not to buy a particular car. But through 
an effective fiscal policy, we can certainly have an impact," he said.

A new committee on national transport plans to give recommendations for 
such a program in just over a year, he added.

India’s auto market is among the fastest growing in the world, 
particularly in the luxury sector, with German carmakers expanding their 
operations there significantly in recent years

***

See also 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edelman/2163265797/in/set-72157602171242536/

-- 

Todd Edelman
Green Idea Factory,
a member of the OPENbike team

Mobile: ++49(0)162 814 4081

edelman at greenidea.eu
www.greenidea.eu
todd at openbike.se
www.openbike.se

Skype: toddedelman

Urbanstr. 45
10967 Berlin
Germany

***

OPENbike - Share the Perfect Fit!