The Delhi government on Thursday hinted that it was mulling issuing of fitness certificates to diesel vehicles that are between 10 years and 15 years old to allow them to ply outside the National Capital Region (NCR) for the time being.
The move comes a day after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered de-registration of vehicles older than 10 years and 15 years in a phased manner.
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According to a senior government official, the Delhi Transport Department is contemplating introducing a policy to de-register diesel vehicles over 10-year-old in a phased manner and is likely to appeal to the NGT in this regard.
The development came hours after representatives from as many as 30 prominent transporters’ associations called on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his Deputy Manish Sisodia and Transport Minister Satyendar Jain at the Delhi Secretariat here. According to official sources, the transporters urged that the government to issue fitness certificates to vehicles, including trucks, that are between 10 years and 15 years old.
“We heard the demands of the transporters on Thursday. The government will study the NGT order first and then seek legal opinions on the demands of transporters. Thereafter, we will be able to take the decision to issue fitness certificates for diesel vehicles that are more than 10 years old,” Mr. Jain told journalists after the meeting.
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The de-registration of 10 years to 15 years old diesel vehicles in the Capital should be carried out in a phased manner, the NGT had said on Wednesday, even as it barred the entry of such trucks with national permits in Delhi.
No Objection Certificate
The Tribunal also said that diesel vehicles that were 15-year-old should be de-registered first and not get a No Objection Certificate (NoCs) for plying outside the Delhi-NCR region.
Only de-registered diesel vehicles that are less than 15 years old should get NoCs for plying in select areas outside Delhi-NCR, to be decided by States where vehicle density is less.
This, even as officials said they had already prepared and presented a plan related to de-registration of diesel vehicles that are more than 15 years old. The first phase of this plan, according to the government, will take about four to five months.
After the meeting, Delhi Goods Transport Association’s president Trilochan Singh Dhillon said about 2.5 lakh trucks that are more than 10 years old ply in the Delhi-NCR region and about 80,000 trucks enter the Capital from other States daily.