Over 280,000 diesel vehicles may go off Delhi's roads

There is a total of 590,000 private and commercial diesel vehicles registered with Delhi Transport Department and out of them, there are 121,000 commercial vehicles and 161,000 private vehicles including cars, jeep, tractors, which are more than 10 years old

About 282,000 diesel vehicles, which are more than 10 years old, may go off the national capital's roads if the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order to de-register such vehicles is implemented in Delhi.

A senior Delhi government official said that the transport department will give a last opportunity to the owners of these vehicles to get 'No Objection Certificate' (NOC) from it to enable them to sell their vehicles outside the capital and failing which it will cancel registration of such vehicles.

The NGT, on Monday, directed the Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Delhi to de-register with immediate effect all diesel vehicles which are more than 10 years old.

As per the official figure, there is a total of 590,000 private and commercial diesel vehicles registered with Delhi Transport Department and out of them, there are 121,000 commercial vehicles and 161,000 private vehicles including cars, jeep, tractors, which are more than 10 years old.

"We will ask the owners of 282,000 diesel vehicles, which are more than 10 years old, to apply for NOC in the Transport Department to sell their vehicles outside Delhi.

The government will give sometime to them so that vehicle owners could get NOC from the department.

"If they fail to do so, Transport department will start de-registering them and share details with the Delhi traffic police to take strict action against them. Teams of transport department and traffic police will impound vehicles, which are more than 10 years old, if they are spotted on roads," the official also said.

Department is also considering to apprise such vehicles owners by either sending notices to their addresses or giving advertisements in newspapers so that they could get NOC from the RTOs.

"We hereby direct RTO, Delhi to de-register all diesel vehicles which are more than 10 years old," a bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

The tribunal passed the order after noting submissions of Delhi police which said that it has made continuous attempts to stop vehicles which were more than 10 years old from plying on the roads of the national capital.