Deregistration of 15 year old diesel vehicles begins in Delhi-NCR

Following the NGT's ban on 10 year old diesel vehicles, the Delhi Transport Department has started de-registering 15 year old diesel vehicles in the region.

The National Green Tribunal/NGT’s love - or lack thereof – for diesel vehicles is hitting the headlines yet again in Delhi/NCR. Following the green committee’s latest order, the Delhi Transportation Department has started cancelling registration of over 15-year old diesel vehicles in the national capital region. The de-registration drive will outlaw both commercial and private vehicles, including imported ones, from plying on Delhi roads.

On July 20, 2016, the NGT passed an order, asking the transport authorities to take above 10 years old diesel vehicles off the Delhi roads. As a consequence, starting from mid-November 2016, the transport department in Delhi/NCR has started de-registering these vehicles. At the moment, only vehicles older than 15 years are being de-registered but, eventually, other vehicles older than 10 years will also be phased out. Approximately 350,000 vehicles in the Delhi/NCR will come under attack due to the current ban.

The Transport Department has also started cancelling the re-registered private vehicles, which have already been run for 15 years. These vehicles will be impounded, while parking them on public places has been deemed illegal! The impounded vehicles, including commercial and goods vehicles, will be sent to over 20 police stations across Delhi, post which they will forwarded for scrapping. Unsurprisingly, though, there’s no concrete scrappage policy in place as of now. Also, the NGT has asked the government to frame a feasible incentive policy for the affected vehicle owners, but even that seems to be far from being finalized.

In addition to that, the NGT has also proposed that the RTO should not provide No Objection Certificate (NoC) - which is required in case of transfer of ownership of the vehicle – to 15 year old diesel vehicles, so as to deter owners from selling them outside of Delhi/NCR.

Also read: NGT bans diesel vehicles more than 10 years old in Delhi