Delhi government officials have said that owners of ‘more’ diesel or petrol vehicles, nervous at the prospect of their cars being deregistered or impounded, have said they can avail the scrappage policy or obtain a no-objection certificate. and sell such vehicles outside the capital. Plans are also underway to enable people to switch older vehicles to electric, although this is likely to take time.
Following the order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Delhi Transport Department recently issued an order stating that diesel vehicles older than 10 years will be automatically deregistered from January 1, 2022.
The department also said that if any ‘End of Life (ELV)’ vehicle is found plying in a public place or on the road, it will be confiscated by the police or the Transport Enforcement Unit and sent to the scrapyard.
The department has so far canceled the registration of about one lakh diesel vehicles. The city currently has around 38 lakh ‘overage’ vehicles.
A senior government official said, “The Delhi government has authorized eight scrapyards in the NCR and all these authorized vendors have their offices in Delhi. If a vehicle owner wants to get their car scrapped, they can call a seller and someone will come to your door to pick up the vehicle. These yards are also equipped with CCTV and owners can view or obtain video of their vehicle to ensure that there is no misuse. ,
The official said people should not go to unauthorized junkyards as their vehicle could be used for criminal activities.
The official said vehicle owners who opt for it and produce a ‘scraping certificate’ will get a discount of up to 25% on a new personal vehicle. “Owners will also be paid for parts of the vehicle that are in good condition, as well as for iron, which is currently Rs 26 per kg,” the official said.
People whose vehicles are about to reach the age limit can obtain a no-objection certificate to sell in states where diesel cars older than 10 years and petrol cars older than 15 years can ply. These include Rajasthan, Bihar, Maharashtra, UP, West Bengal etc.
“The procedure is available on the website of the Transport Department. Further, if a person wants to convert an old vehicle to electric, retrofitting will be done with empaneled kits through agencies approved by the Transport Department. Around 10 agencies are currently working with the department on this, but it will take time,” said transport commissioner Ashish Kundra.
“It is a very good policy to control the rising level of air pollution. Police and government will take action but RWAs and housing societies should also take proactive steps and create awareness on the policy,” said Anil Chhikara, a transport expert.
Sewa Ram, Professor A.T.
The School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) said: “This will help the city to breathe and also reduce accidents. Apart from de-registering these vehicles, the government or the NGT should also see that they are also not re-registered and operated in states with a large number of vehicles. Otherwise it won’t matter.”
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