News Brief
Delhi Government To Modify Old Vehicle Policy Amid Public Backlash: Report
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta (Representative Image)
The Delhi government has effectively put on hold its End-of-Life (EOL) vehicle impounding policy merely two days after rollout.
Following backlash from the public and the Opposition over a lack of preparedness and technical flaws in the enforcement infra, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Thursday (3 July) announced that old vehicles would not be impounded in the national capital, News18 reported.
“Delhi Chief Minister has assured residents that old vehicles will not be impounded arbitrarily. We will not allow old vehicles to be impounded. At the same time, we are committed to controlling pollution in Delhi," Sirsa said.
He added, “Delhi residents are already facing issues regarding End-of-Life Vehicles. The government has written to the Chairman of CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management) and stated that it lacks the necessary infrastructure to implement the policy."
Under the directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), petrol pumps across Delhi were asked not to provide fuel to end-of-life vehicles starting Tuesday.
The CAQM order, which came into effect 1 July, was meant to curb vehicular pollution in the national capital.
Sirsa told reporters a fuel ban such as this is difficult to enforce, and that the government is working out a system to seize polluting and poorly-maintained vehicles instead of punishing people who take care of their cars.
Over 60 lakh vehicles - cars, two-wheelers, trucks, and vintage automobiles - were affected by the CAQM order, which acted based on data stating vehicles are among Delhi's top polluters.
The police, transport department and MCD had also begun drive to seize older vehicles to reduce pollution and improve road safety.
Around 80 ELVs were impounded on Tuesday and seven such vehicles were reportedly seized on Wednesday, under the drive.
All ELVs were to have been scrapped under the now-rolled back policy.
Highlighting tech issues, Sirsa pointed out that ANPR cameras are not working properly, loudspeakers are malfunctioning, and there’s no coordination in vehicle data across Delhi-NCR.
“There are several technical glitches, and the government has no real-time system in place to notify citizens about their vehicles being marked as EOL," he added.
The Delhi government’s letter to CAQM acknowledged the infrastructure gaps, citing non-functional ANPR cameras, faulty loudspeakers, and a lack of data integration across regions.
Sirsa added that a system is in the works to alert owners before their vehicles are tagged EOL.
“Until proper systems are in place, impounding should not proceed," Sirsa said.
He added that only CAQM can officially decide on whether the policy should be withdrawn or paused.
Originally intended to reduce air pollution by removing outdated vehicles, the policy is now in limbo as all eyes turn to CAQM’s next move.
