Delhi govt seeks amendment to Motor Vehicle Act

In order to effectively implement the NGT order banning more than 10 years old diesel-run vehicles, Delhi government today said it would approach the Centre to seek an amendment in the Motor Vehicle Act for having "legal rights" to impound such vehicles.
According to government, there is currently no provision in existing laws which empower the concerned departments to impound such vehicles after 10 years.
Transport Minister Gopal Rai today held a joint meeting with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh transport department officials to discuss an effective plan to implement the National Green Court's order.
"Until an amendment is made by the Centre in the Motor Vehicle Act, Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh will legally not be able to implement NGT's order as existing laws do not allow department officials to impound vehicles of more than 10 years and 15 years old," Rai said.

He said that only police, as per existing laws, has power to impound such vehicles.
"In the meeting, it was decided that I would write to Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari to covene a meeting with Delhi, Haryana, UP's transport ministers so that a joint planning could be made to implement the NGT's order.

"We will also seek amendment in Motor Vehicle Act so that the new law could give legal rights to transport departments to impound such types of vehicles," he said.
The transport minister said that Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh will ask the central government to direct the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to install 'Weigh in Motion' machines along the national highways in the NCR region, so that overloaded vehicles, particularly trucks can be easily tracked down.

"Such trucks are one of the biggest sources of air pollution. These machines have been installed by the NHAI at many highways across the country," Rai said.
In the today's joint meeting, it was also decided that all three states - Haryana, Delhi and UP - will start a joint drive to take action against overloaded vehicles in the Delhi-NCR region.
"Three states have agreed to start a joint drive from April 15 to take action against overloaded vehicles in the NCR territory," he said
A five-member team, headed by transport joint commissioner Anand Tiwari, has been formed for this purpose.

Delhi Transport department's deputy commissioner Yogesh Pratap, Mayank Jyoti (Uttar Pradesh's transport deparment), Sushil Sarwan and Rajeev Ahlawat (Haryana's transport department) will also be members of the committee.