Delhi govt may issue fitness certificate to 15-year-old diesel vehicles

The Delhi government on Thursday hinted that it might take a decision on issuing fitness certificates to diesel vehicles of 10-15 years old to allow them to ply outside Delhi-NCR, a day after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered de-registration of such vehicles in a phased manner. The transport department was also contemplating introducing a policy to de-register diesel vehicles over 10-year-old in a phased manner.

De-registration of 10-15 years old diesel vehicles in the national capital would be carried out in a phased manner, the NGT had on Wednesday said, while barring entry of such trucks with national permits in Delhi-NCR.

It also said that diesel vehicles, which are 15-year-old, should be de-registered first and will not get no-objection certificate (NOC) for plying outside Delhi-NCR.  The government, however, said a final decision on both issues will be taken only after studying the green panel’s order and taking legion opinion. Representatives of about thirty transporters association on Thursday met Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia and Transport Minister Satyendar Jain at the Delhi Secretariat. The transporters demanded that decision be taken to issue fitness certificates to vehicles, including trucks, which are between 10 and 15 years old.

"We today heard the demands of transporters. The government will study the NGT order first and then seek legal opinion on the demands of transporters. Thereafter, we will be able to take the decision to issue fitness certificates to diesel vehicles which are more than 10 years old," Jain told reporters here.

Official sources said officials presented a plan of de-registering diesel vehicles more than 15 years old in a phased manner. In first phase, the government may take 4-5 months to phase out diesel vehicles between 10 years and 15 years old.

After the meeting, Delhi Goods Transport Association's president Trilochan Singh Dhillon said about 2.5 lakh trucks, which are more than 10 years old, ply in Delhi-NCR and about 80,000 trucks enter the capital from outside daily.