Following the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Delhi Government’s Transport department is bringing out a notification banning vehicles older than 15 years plying on the road. The Transport department has started the process of preparing notifications while the Traffic Police and civic bodies are finding it difficult to implement the order, saying that they have no parking space for these seized vehicles. During the hearing, the Transport department is reported to have clarified that the department has a system to re-register after the expiry of the original 15-year registration through a fitness test.
After hearing all stakeholders, the NGT indicated that it was not going back on its decision to ban vehicles older than 15 years on Delhi roads.
The two-hour-long discussion was attended by officials from 18 departments, including the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Petroleum Ministry, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Delhi Police and various other departments.
Meanwhile, the DPCC addressed its stance stating that everything is regulated here but the aspect of pollution needs to be seen in totality. Pollution levels are increasing in the Capital but only Delhi is not responsible for the increasing levels of pollution, surrounding areas of the city also contribute to it. Besides, the Transport department officials also ensure that all DTC buses are less than 15 years old.
It is estimated that more than 29 lakh vehicles will go off the Capital’s roads following a NGT order. Dismayed at the increasing level of air pollution in Delhi, the NGT had on November 26 barred all vehicles — private cars, bikes, commercial vehicles, buses and trucks — over 15 years old from plying in the Capital.
In Delhi, only private vehicles — two and four wheelers — were allowed to re-register after the expiry of the original 15-year registration, provided they cleared a fitness test by the Transport department. The second registration was valid for only five years. From December 1, however, re-registration of all old vehicles has been disallowed.
Of the 81 lakh vehicles registered in Delhi, around 60 lakh are private vehicles. Of these, around 25 lakh are four-wheelers and the rest two-wheelers. Commercial vehicles which are more than 15 years old are officially not allowed to ply in Delhi, and are not issued a fitness certificate by the Delhi Transport department. This has been the case since 1998, in keeping with a Supreme Court order.
The ban on re-registration is good news for the auto industry as around 1,200 vehicles are registered every day in Delhi. An overwhelming majority of these vehicles are privately owned, with many being two-wheelers.
The tribunal had on November 28 made it clear that the ban order will also apply to the buses owned and/or under contract with Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and all other States whose buses are coming to Delhi from the destination of their respective states.
“As per the Green tribunal’s order, we will also have to make a strategy to ban the entry of private vehicles, which are more than 15 years old, but are coming from other States, in the National Capital,” the official added. In its order on November 26, a bench, headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, had directed that wherever such vehicles of this age are noticed, the concerned authorities shall take appropriate steps in accordance with law including seizure of the vehicles.
“It is undisputed and in fact unquestionable that the air pollution of NCT, Delhi, is getting worse with each passing day. It not only projects the very dismayed state of affairs existing with clear indication that worst is likely to follow…,” the bench had said.