Do Not Ban Vehicles That Don't Pollute; Ban Should Be Based on Fitness: Delhi CM
Finally, there is someone from the government who is trying to help the middle class. We are saying this as recently the Chief Minister of Delhi, Rekha Gupta, at a public event on 26th July, made a bold statement. During the event, she urged the Supreme Court of India to reconsider the ban on ELVs (End-of-life vehicles). The Delhi Chief Minister has called for a vehicle ban on the basis of emissions and not based on the age of the vehicle, which currently bans 10-year-old diesel and 15-year-old petrol cars in Delhi.
CM Rekha Gupta’s urge to Supreme Court of India
CM Rekha Gupta, while speaking at a public event, urged the Supreme Court of India to reconsider the ban on ELVs. She highlighted that vehicle restrictions and bans should not be based on age. Rather, they should be based on the emission levels. Gupta highlighted that vehicles which meet the emission and fitness norms and are non-polluting should be allowed to operate, regardless of their age.
What she also criticised and highlighted is that the rule is currently specific to Delhi NCR, which is not consistent with the rules across the country. She stated that the same laws which are applicable throughout the country should be applicable in Delhi as well.
“A polluting vehicle should be phased out even if it is five years old. However, if a vehicle does not cause any pollution and passes the fitness test, then there should be no condition on it.” She added, “There should be the same rules in Delhi as are applicable anywhere else in the country.”
The Delhi Chief Minister continued, “Previous governments in Delhi did nothing to control pollution and they let people choke, which is why the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had to prohibit 10-year-old diesel and 15-year-old petrol vehicles.”
Delhi government’s petition
It has been reported that the government of Delhi has filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India. In the petition, it has argued that the age-based ban lacks scientific grounding and causes undue hardship to citizens. The government also highlighted that the BS-VI emission norms have been implemented, which significantly lower emissions.
The petition also mentioned that there should be a policy which assesses vehicle fitness based on real-time emissions instead of a blanket age-based restriction. The hearing on this petition took place on July 28, and a bench led by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran took the matter.
Is there hope for common people?
At the moment, what exactly has been directed by the Supreme Court of India has not been reported. However, with the government of Delhi taking the initiative for the help of common people, it seems like there is a ray of hope that old non-polluting vehicles could stay on the road.
Most likely, if the ruling is done in favour of the government of Delhi, then there will be a need for stricter emission checks of all vehicles to distinguish which vehicle is polluting and which needs to be scrapped or banned. Overall, if this comes into effect, this will help out a lot of middle-class families who do not want to scrap or sell their non-polluting old vehicle.