The transport department has issued a public notice regarding 55 lakh overage vehicles or End of Life Vehicles (ELV) emphasising that parking such vehicles is prohibited in all the public places, including areas outside residences which are considered public places.

According to the notice, “General public is informed that the government has deregistered 5.5 million over-aged vehicles (diesel vehicles more than 10 years old and Petrol/CNG vehicles more than 15 years old). The list of such vehicles can be accessed by visiting the Transport Department website at https://transport.delhi.gov.in. There is a complete prohibition on parking over-aged vehicles, including in areas just outside residences, which are considered public place.”

This means owners of ELV will park their vehicle inside their premises. If such vehicles found plying or parked in public spaces in Delhi may results in seizure/impounding and attracting a penalty of `5,000 to `10,000 besides towing and parking charges for its one time release. The transport department is also planning denying fuel to these vehicles in the coming days.

Delhi’s Transport Minister, Pankaj Singh, had on March 6 announced a comprehensive plan to check unregistered vehicles, which the government claimed is one of the main contributory factors to traffic congestion in the national capital. After finalisation of the initiative, Singh had said that the government in Delhi is committed to improving road management.  The transport department and traffic police to take action against vehicles operating without proper registration.

Additionally, orders were issued for petrol pump operators not to supply fuel to unregistered or unfit vehicles. “If they don’t comply with the orders, they will also face penalties,” the Minister said.

The transport department has asked the owners of all such vehicles to either keep such vehicle inside the residential complex in a private parking space owned by the individual (not in a shared parking space even if it’s part of a residential complex) or Obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to move the vehicle out of the NCT of Delhi within one year of the vehicle’s expiry date.

It has also given another option for owners of over-aged vehicle is to scrap the vehicles through the ‘voluntary vehicle scrapping application’ at https://vscrap.parivahan.gov.in/ at any nearby registered vehicle scrapping facility. Benefits in accordance with the notification issued earlier by the transport department for concession in the Motor Vehicles Tax on registration of new transport and non-transport vehicles can also be availed in the process.

The enforcement wing of the transport department, Delhi Traffic Police, New Delhi Municipal Council, Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Delhi Cantonment Board will impound such vehicles found parked or plying in public places in Delhi, even if an NOC has been issued but the vehicle has not been moved out of Delhi within one month of NOC issuance, it further added.