NGT exempts vintage cars from 15-year-old vehicle ban

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has permanently exempted vintage cars from the ambit of the ban on 15-year-old vehicles in the Delhi-NCR region.

This exemption is the result of a plea filed by the Heritage Motoring Club of India. Previously, in January, 2017, the NGT made an exception to this order and granted permission to the 2017 Vintage Car Rally to take place in Delhi.

The NGT referred to rule 92 (2) (c) of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989, and section 59 of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 that exempts automobiles that fall under the ‘vintage’ category. Consequently, vehicles which fulfill the norms specified to be categorised as vintage or classic will be exempted from the 15-year-old ban.

Therefore, these vintage vehicles are now allowed to be driven on public roads for showcasing in exhibitions and rallies - or when being moved for service and maintenance purposes.

Additionally, the green panel also suggested that the vintage car owners should contribute towards environment conservation by planting trees and providing trash cans, which would help in improving the ambient air quality of the Delhi-NCR region.

As per the National Green Tribunal guidelines, petrol vehicles older than 15 years, and diesel vehicles older than 10 years cannot run on the roads of Delhi-NCR due to the alarmingly high levels of air pollution in the region.