The Delhi old vehicle ban might be in place even when the Centre’s vehicle scrapping policy comes into effect
Will people living in Delhi be under pressure to conform to the old vehicle ban order announced in 2018 by the Supreme Court even when the Centre’s vehicle scrapping policy takes effect?
As things stand, that might be the case. But the Delhi government and the Union government are keen on applying a uniform rule in order to get rid of ‘end of life’ vehicles.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, had in her Budget speech this year announced the draft vehicle policy. Then, in March, Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari shared more details about the scrapping policy in the Lok Sabha.
According to the Centre, 20-year-old private vehicles and 15-year-old government and commercial vehicles will be subjected to a fitness test. The vehicles which clear the test will be allowed to ply the country’s roads after re-registration.
However, the ones which fail the test will be labelled as ‘end of life’ vehicles and will be de-registered and owners of such vehicles will be encouraged to scrap them.
But, the Delhi old vehicle ban prohibits the plying of petrol vehicles that are more than 15 years old and diesel automobiles more than 10 years of age in the national capital region.
The Supreme Court had, in its order dated 29th October 2018, also directed the Delhi Transport Department to publish a list of such vehicles on its website and said the department can impound and scrap old vehicles should they be found plying on the road.
In March, it came to light that the Union Road Transport Ministry is planning to get legal opinion on whether it should seek a review of the Supreme Court ban on old vehicles in Delhi-NCR.
Then, in June, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot stated that the government has been receiving a lot of queries from owners of vehicles that are nearing the end of their life.
He said the Delhi government will apprise the Supreme Court of the draft vehicle scrapping policy and request it to review its 2018 order.
The main difference between the Centre’s policy and the Supreme Court order is that a vehicle’s life is determined by its fitness and not its age.
Since the court’s order overrules the Centre’s policy, Delhiites will have to conform to the old vehicle ban even when the voluntary vehicle scrapping policy is effected across the nation.
However, the Delhi government will have to look at accommodating the Centre’s scrapping policy alongside the Supreme Court’s current order somehow.