The common people, who are bracing up for tough times on the roads, feel the withdrawal of the vehicles will make the city's air purer, but are also worried how they will commute in the coming days.

'These vehicles should be withdrawn. They are responsible for pollution. New vehicles will meet the emission norms better,' said Sreemoy Mukherjee, a school student.

'School students will be harassed. There will be less number of vehicles on the roads. If the authorities start checking all vehicles, then we will be delayed on the roads,' said Swapan Chowdhury, a bank employee.

Swati Sen, a school teacher, said it would have been better had the vehicles been removed in a phased manner. 'The problem is because all these vehicles are being debarred at one go. The government should have announced a two-year or three-year roadmap for this and then moved the court with the suggestion,' she said.

Trinamool Congress chief and Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee also said that the withdrawal should be done in phases, but questioned how government departments like the police as also the Kolkata Municipal Corporation were running 15-year-plus vehicles.

'The law should be the same for everybody,' she said, pointing out that one million people comprising the transport operators, workers and their families will be affected due to the ban.

'I support the environmental concerns. But the economic condition of these people will also have to considered. Maybe the government can try out using LPG cylinders in these vehicles to meet the emission norms,' she said.

The Calcutta High Court in July 2008 ordered a ban on commercial vehicles registered before Jan 1, 1993 from Kolkata and its outskirts. It said the order should be implemented by Dec 31, 2008 in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area, which includes parts of North and South 24-Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly districts.

Later, the date for imposing the ban was put off till July 31, 2009, following a government plea.