Delhi govt to de-register 10-year-old diesel vehicles on January 1

New Delhi: An estimated 200,000 diesel vehicles that are at least 10 years old will be de-registered by the Delhi government on January 1 according to a December 14 order issued by the Union Territory’s transport department that comes six years after the National Green Tribunal and three years after the country’s apex court passed orders to the effect in an effort to contain air pollution in the National Capital Region.

“In compliance of the direction of the NGT, the transport department de-registered a number of vehicles; however, in the meantime, a new set of diesel vehicles completing more than 10 years in Delhi is due for de-registration. Accordingly, the transport department will de-register all such diesel vehicles in Delhi on 01.01.2022 which have completed/would be completing 10 years on that date,” read the order dated December 14, a copy of which has been reviewed by HT.

While the NGT and Supreme Court orders also mentions petrol vehicles that are at least 15 years old, it says that they will not be de-registered immediately.

Thus far, the Delhi transport department has de-registered at least 100,000 old diesel vehicles . There are an estimated 3.8 millionvehicles in Delhi that are technically overaged. Of these, 3.5 million are petrol vehicles that are at least 15 years old. The rest are diesel vehicles that are at least 10 years old.

Transport commissioner Ashish Kundra said the huge difference is because the government first deregistered the oldest diesel vehicles in the city, meaning those that are at least 15 years old. Old petrol vehicles are not being targeted as of now because they are relatively less polluting than old diesel vehicles, Kundra said.

According to the transport department’s order, the Delhi government has given three options to owners of such vehicles: either get a No Objection Certificate (NOC), which is issued by the state transport department, and sell it in any other state; retrofit it with approved electric kits; or scrap it.

The NOCs, issued by Delhi’s motor licensing officers can be used in some states to get the vehicle re-registered there. “It is illegal to drive any such vehicle without re-registration in that state,” said a senior transport official who asked not to be named.

States where such vehicles are allowed to be sold and re-registered include Rajasthan, which allows it in all its districts; Bihar (18 districts); Maharashtra (26 districts); Uttar Pradesh (33); West Bengal (all districts but only BS-IV vehicles); and Meghalaya (all districts).

The second option of retrofitting with electric kits, started on November 18 this year. “The transport department will soon empanel manufacturers of pure electric kits by approved testing agencies. Once empanelled, this will enable vehicles to continue plying here beyond 10 yrs,” transport minister Kailash Gahlot said on November 18.

As for the third, Delhi has authorised six scrapper. “Owners of such vehicles,are advised to get such end of life vehicles scrapped through the authorised scrappers of the transport department, the list of which is available at the website of the department. The money is given as per the weight of the scrapped vehicle,”the transport official cited above said.

The transport department conducts checks to identify such end of life vehicles from time-to-time. From September to November, the department conducted a drive wherein any diesel vehicle older than 15 years if found plying on city roads or parked in public spaces, is immediately impounded and sent to the scrapping yard. 

There is no penalty for driving such a vehicle because technically such vehicles are deemed de-registered. So, the department directly impounds such vehicles and sends them to the scrap yard.