New Delhi, May 5: The Centre today urged the Supreme Court to extend the April 31 deadline for phasing diesel cabs out of Delhi, citing the security of women BPO employees and linking it to the national economy.

BPOs depend on cabs to pick up and drop off their staff, solicitor-general Ranjit Kumar told a bench headed by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur.

"The court order has given rise to security concerns as women employees need to be dropped at night," he argued.

An estimated 30,000 cabs will be affected by the apex court's April 30 order that they switch to compressed natural gas (CNG) or else stop plying in pollution-wracked Delhi and its National Capital Region neighbourhood.

"It (the order) has badly affected them. If the BPOs move out of the country, it will affect the economy," Kumar said.

When the bench suggested the BPOs hire CNG buses, Kumar said: "It's not feasible. The employees have to be dropped outside their houses. Women workers cannot be left on the roads because the buses can't enter small lanes. It's a matter of security."

Kumar, who was speaking during the hearing of another environment-related case, said the Centre would move a formal application on Friday. The bench adjourned the matter till May 9.

Senior counsel Nidhesh Gupta, appearing for a group of radio taxi operators, said his clients were CNG-compliant. He argued that no relief should be given to those flouting the CNG norms.

"Radio taxis operate strictly under Delhi government rules that state they have to run on clean fuel. These rules do not apply to vehicles registered under the All India Tourist Permit. But instead of ferrying tourists, these AITP cabs run as local taxis," Gupta said.

Earlier, the Arvind Kejriwal government too had requested the apex court to extend the deadline.

Industry chamber Ficci has said it respects the apex court order, which also bans the registration of fresh diesel cars above 2000cc, but stringent measures can hurt the country's image as a preferred investment destination.

"The ban on registration of new diesel-powered vehicles in New Delhi could prove detrimental to the auto industry, and may not result in any significant lower emission levels since the new diesel vehicles emit lower pollutants given they comply with the advance vehicle emission standards (Euro IV), whereas the older vehicles with old emission norms would continue to ply on the road," a Ficci statement said.

It said that the proposed Automotive Mission Plan, "a shared vision of (the) government and the industry", could help create 65 million additional jobs.

It batted for "vehicle replacement programmes supported by some form of policy incentives".