Delhi lays down rules to seize, scrap, reuse end-of-life vehicles
Guidelines are applicable in Delhi, and came into effect from Feb 20 Continuous enforcement drives will be conducted to phase out ELVs Those found plying or parked in public places will be impounded by the enforcement agency
NOC to move ELVs out of Delhi can be taken within 1 year of expiry of vehicle’s registration
Transport dept will stop issuing NOC for vehicles after one year of them hitting ELV status
Non-submission of application for release of vehicles within 3 weeks of impounding
Rejection of application
Second time impounding of vehicles
City residents whose “end-of-life” vehicles have been impounded by authorities for violating environmental norms can now get them released after paying a fine — ₹10,000 for cars, and ₹5,000 for two-wheelers — and giving an undertaking that they will not be driven on city roads, if the owners have a personal parking space, according to new government guidelines issued on Tuesday.
The new rules, issued by the transport department, direct officials in the handling of thousands of so-called “end-of-life vehicles” (ELVs), that are either illegally plying on city roads or parked in public spaces. They specify the rules to initiate action against such vehicle users, allowing them to sell them off in states where such restrictions do not exist, senior transport department officials said.
No vehicle older than 15 years is allowed to ply on Delhi roads, according to orders issued by the National Green Tribunal (2015) and the Supreme Court (2018). For diesel vehicles, this time period is 10 years.
The rules are meant to cut
An online platform will be developed for facilitating release applications
A three-month window has been opened for all ELVs (regardless of how old the vehicles are) to apply for NOC
No vehicle, which is 15 years old, can operate on the roads of the national capital, according to orders issued by the NGT (2015) and the Supreme Court (2018). For diesel vehicles, this time period is cut down to 10 years only down on the number of vehicles on the city’s roads with dated emission standards.
The officials said the department has uploaded the “Guidelines for Handling End of Life Vehicle (ELV) in Public Place 2024” on its website, and added the rules were framed in compliance of the Delhi high court orders issued in August 2023.
Between March 29 and August 22 last year, the transport department conducted a drive against the use of ELVs being used or parked in public places. The drive was halted by the department on August 22, the day the Delhi high court, dealing with a clutch of petitions against impounding of ELVs, directed their release provided the owners submit an undertaking that they will park ELVs in private spaces, or will not use them in Delhi.
During the drive, 14,500 vehicles such as cars, bikes and others were impounded. About 150 were released after the owners submitted the undertaking, and the rest were scrapped.
According to the new guidelines, if the vehicle owner violates the conditions, and the vehicle gets impounded again, it will not be released again.
For those who wish to shift ELVs out of Delhi
No plying or parking in public places undertaking
NOC for shifting vehicles outside Delhi
₹10,000 penalty for 4-wheelers; ₹5,000 penalty for 2-wheelers along with towing charge
Proof of private parking space within the premises of applicant
Application for release of impounded vehicles should be submitted within 3 weeks of impounding
The guidelines, however, said that vehicles which have completed one year after hitting ELV status will not be given NOC after May 20, 2024
The document said that a parking space allotted to the owner inside a residential complex will be considered as a private parking space
Officials said the drive against ELVs will not be relaunched before June, allowing the owners to apply for a No-Objection Certificate (NOC), which can be used to register the vehicle again in select states. “We have kept a three months window from today (February 20) to allow people who want to take NOC from the transport department to move their vehicles out of Delhi-NCR. All vehicles regardless of when they hit ELV status, can apply for NOC. After the window closes, we will run awareness campaigns for at least two weeks and finally in June we plan to launch drive against ELVs,” said an official, who did not want to be named.
The guidelines, however, said that vehicles which have completed one year after hitting ELV status will not be given NOC after May 20, 2024.
According to the guidelines, signed by a transport department special commissioner, a fourwheeler owner will have to pay a penalty of ₹10,000, along with towing charge and parking fee as notified in Parking Rules 2019 before getting it releasing from the department. In case of a twowheeler, a penalty of ₹5,000 will be charged.
The document said that a parking space allotted to the owner inside a residential complex will be considered as a private parking space.
To ensure that the such vehicles are not parked on public land, the owner will have to furnish a proof of private parking space. The proof can be an allotment letter from the RWA or any authority concerned, whichever is applicable, the guidelines said.
States where such vehicles are allowed to be sold and re-registered include Rajasthan and Meghalaya (all districts), Bihar (18 districts), Maharashtra (26 districts), Uttar Pradesh (33) and West Bengal (all districts but only BS-IV vehicles).
Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot did not respond to requests for comment.
Sachin Gupta, founding member of Citizens Action Group, said the vehicle scrapping rules are illogical. “De-registration rules for 10- to 15-year-old vehicles are not based on any empirical research. Vehicular emissions should be checked, but scrapping the vehicles is wrong. The rules are illogical,” said Gupta, who along with dozens of people protested against impounding of vehicles last year.