With the Supreme Court ordering a ban on the plying of 15-year-old petrol and 10-year-old diesel vehicles, the authorities have said they will comply with the order once it reaches them.
In Gautam Buddh Nagar, as many as 40,000 petrol and 12,000 diesel vehicles will go off-road. While these vehicles are barred from plying in the NCR, only 2,000 of them have been impounded by authorities.
Only 1,710 petrol and 2,615 vehicles have taken an NOC for plying in districts other than Gautam Buddh Nagar.
ADVERTISEMENT
In Ghaziabad, there are 1,03,000 petrol vehicles which fall under this category while the number of diesel vehicles is 21,000.
On April 7, 2015, the NGT had directed that diesel vehicles which were over 10 years old should not be permitted to ply in Delhi and NCR.
The Supreme Court had also dismissed a plea that challenged the Tribunal’s order.
ADVERTISEMENT
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) in August 2015, refused to modify its order banning the plying of diesel vehicles, which were more than 10 years old, in Delhi and the NCR.
The Transport Department officials said it cannot issue fitness certificates to 10-year-old or above vehicles, however, it can issue NOC to these vehicles to register other than Delhi-NCR. But unfortunately fitness certificates were issued in connivance with RTO (regional transport officer) and RIs (regional inspector) in Ghaziabad, Meerut, Bulandshahr, G.B. Nagar after charging ₹10,000.
Uttar Pradesh Transport Department sources stated that in Western UP, fitness certificates had been issued to 1990 and 2002 make models.
“After receiving a certified copy of the order, we will intensify imposing the order on the expired vehicles. We will also issue letter and advisory to all the transporters to adhere to the order,” said a UP Transport Department official.
“We are already marred with high fuel prices and the decision has come as a double blow for petty transporters like us,” said Abhishek Kumar, who owns two diesel-based commercial cars.