In a severe setback to the owners of diesel vehicles in Delhi, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Motor licensing Officers (MlOs) in Delhi to de-register all diesel vehicles which are more than 10 years old with immediate effect. While issuing the order on Monday, a Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar told the Regional Transport Officers (RTOs) in Delhi to issue public notice after the de-registration of vehicles and also supply the list of such vehicles to Delhi Traffic Police so it could take appropriate action as per directions of the tribunal.
Out of 6 lakh diesel vehicles, over 1.2 lakh commercial and 1.6 lakh private vehicles in Delhi will not only be prohibited from plying in the city after this order, but it will be illegal to ply them anywhere in the country. These vehicles can’t even be sold in other States as without a valid registration certificate. These vehicles
will be as good as scrap. Owners of such vehicles will have a difficult time getting a no-objection-certificate from MlOs to sell these vehicles in other States.
However, a senior Delhi Government official said that the Transport Department will give a last opportunity to the owners of these vehicles to get NOC from it to enable them to sell their vehicles outside the Capital. “We will ask the vehicle owners to apply for NOC. If they fail to do so, the Transport Department will start de-registering them and share details with the Delhi Traffic Police to take strict action against them. Teams of Transport Department and traffic police will impound vehicles, which are more than 10 years old, if they are spotted on roads,” the official said.
“Transporters have already stopped plying old diesel vehicles in Delhi after last year’s NGT order. This is just the final nail in the coffin. The move will affect those owners who spent their lifetime savings to buy an old truck in hope to earn their livelihood. There are many truck drivers who put all their savings and even sold their lands to buy a truck.
After NGT’s order last year, they had been driving these vehicles in nearby States to earn their livelihoods. But after this order, they will not be able to do that either as these trucks are registered in Delhi. They will neither have fitness certificate nor a valid registration,” said Rajender Kapoor, General Secretary of Delhi Goods Transport Association.
According to an MlO who didn’t wish to be named, they need to wait till they receive an order from the Government to de-register all the old diesel vehicles. However, the power to issue an order in this respect lies with the Central Government under the Motor Vehicles Act. As per the section 59 of the MV Act, “It empowers the Central Government to specify the life of motor vehicle of any class or type beyond which the vehicle will have to be kept off the roads.”
While calling diesel vehicles as a major cause of pollution, the tribunal said that even Delhi Government’s ambitious odd-even scheme failed to improve ambient air quality in the city. “This itself is indicative that old diesel vehicles contribute majorly to pollute the air quality and therefore they must be stopped from plying. It is an accepted fact in India and all over the world that emissions from diesel vehicles are more injurious to environment than petrol or other sources of energy like CNG… Be that as it may, we are of the considered view that there is no occasion for the tribunal to set aside April 7, 2015 order which prohibited plying of diesel vehicles which are more than 10-year-old on the road in Delhi-NCR...We hereby direct RTO, Delhi, to de-register all diesel vehicles which are more than 10 years old,” the bench said.
The tribunal passed the order after noting submissions of Delhi Police which said that it has made continuous attempts to stop vehicles which were more than 10 years old from plying on the roads of the national Capital. It further said that vehicles are released by the magistrates after imposing fine under the Motor Vehicle Act and the vehicles surface again on the roads.
The tribunal had on April 7, 2015 held that all diesel vehicles which are more than 10 years old will not be permitted to ply in Delhi-NCR. On November 26, 2014, it had banned plying of all diesel or petrol vehicles which were more than 15 years old.