New Delhi – On the first day of its intensified crackdown on End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs), the Delhi government impounded 80 vehicles at various locations, with 98 detected overall at city fuel stations using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, officials said on Tuesday.
The impounded vehicles included 45 seized by the transport department, 34 by Delhi traffic police, and one by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Authorities allowed 18 vehicles to go after paying a fine and obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC), while several drivers reportedly fled the scene.
Across the Noida border, police seized 25 more vehicles, part of a wider drive to curtail the movement of outdated vehicles that violate the 15-year age limit for petrol vehicles and 10 years for diesel as per Delhi’s anti-pollution norms.
Fuel station operators observed a 10–15% drop in sales at Delhi border outlets, as ELV owners appear to be shifting to neighboring cities like Noida, Gurugram, and Faridabad to refuel without fear of seizure.
Officials estimate there are around 600,000 ELVs still plying in Delhi—only 10% of the 6.2 million ELVs registered in the VAHAN database, which includes scrapped, de-registered, or NOC-exempt vehicles.
Once impounded, vehicles are sent to a scrapping facility where owners have 15 days to pay a fine and retrieve the vehicle to sell outside NCR.
Public Reaction & Expert Insights
Residents like Aman Jha, owner of a 14-year-old petrol car, expressed frustration:
“I’ve maintained my car in excellent condition. I understand the need to reduce pollution, but buying a new car is a financial challenge.”
Experts said the measure is unlikely to impact road congestion significantly. Dr. S. Velmurugan of CRRI noted:
“Many ELVs are used only for short neighborhood trips. Their removal might push people toward public transport or cab services.”
OP Agarwal, former CEO of WRI India, said enforcement should also focus on neighbourhood-level parked vehicles, many of which remain idle but non-compliant. He emphasized the need for greater public awareness about scrapping options.
Meanwhile, ICCT’s India head Amit Bhatt called the move an opportunity to shift toward electric vehicles, as pressure mounts to modernize Delhi’s vehicle fleet amid worsening air quality.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and transport officials say this crackdown is just the beginning of an ongoing drive to make Delhi’s roads and air cleaner, though enforcement in neighboring NCR cities will be crucial to its success.