Delhi’s ban on non-BS-VI vehicles looks ineffective amid Noida traffic

Noida: Delhi’s ban on non-BS-VI vehicles entering the National Capital Region (NCR) appears ineffective, as massive vehicular movement from Noida to Delhi continued at high speed during the first two days

Noida: Delhi’s ban on non-BS-VI vehicles entering the National Capital Region (NCR) appears ineffective, as massive vehicular movement from Noida to Delhi continued at high speed during the first two days.

On Second day, Monday, only three to four Delhi Traffic Police personnel conducted random checks at the Chilla border and the Delhi-Noida-Direct (DND) toll plaza. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The presence of Delhi Traffic Police personnel was also limited, while the Noida Police said they were following the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) orders.

From Sunday (November 1), the Delhi government implemented a ban on the entry of non-BS-VI vehicles into the Capital as part of its winter action plan to curb pollution. On the first day, the drive appeared ineffective at the Delhi-Noida borders, as no checking was conducted.

On Second day, Monday, only three to four Delhi Traffic Police personnel conducted random checks at the Chilla border and the Delhi-Noida-Direct (DND) toll plaza.

When HT visited the spots, four traffic police personnel were seen stopping bikers near the DND toll plaza, while only two traffic police personnel were deployed at the Chilla border. It appeared that they stopped and checked vehicles at the request of electronic media personnel.

Notably, according to the Noida Traffic Police, more than 5 lakh vehicles cross the Chilla border and DND. Due to random checks in front of the media on Monday afternoon, traffic crawled at the Chilla border, and a queue built up along a stretch of around 1.7 km.

The Noida Police constable deployed near Chilla said, “As traffic pressure builds up outside, we request them to halt checking.”

A senior traffic police official, requesting anonymity, said, “Delhi Police requested us to assist them in checking non-BS-VI vehicles, but when no such ban has been implemented in our state, how can we stop someone?”

The Noida Police said stopping non-BS-VI vehicles was part of the Delhi Police’s job. “However, when the traffic situation worsens due to their checking, we will ask them to maintain the traffic flow,” added the officer cited above.

According to Transport Department data, Noida and Greater Noida had 970,000 registered petrol vehicles and 130,000 diesel vehicles as of October 27. Of these, 111,867 vehicles are BS-IV, and 246,993 are end-of-life (ELV) vehicles, including 199,549 petrol ELVs (15-year-old) and 47,444 diesel ELVs (10-year-old), which need to be scrapped under the directives of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

BS-I, BS-II and BS-III vehicles, launched before 2010, and a small portion of BS-IV vehicles (bought between April 2010 and 2011) come under the ELV category.

The district has 708,801 registered BS-VI vehicles and 72,727 electric vehicles. Overall, more than 1.35 million vehicles of different categories are registered in the district.

Brajesh Sharma, a resident of Sector 78 in Noida, who owns a BS-IV Tata Tiago, said, “This rule is only being implemented to harass the common man. Left with no option, my two colleagues and I borrowed a BS-VI car from my neighbour to reach our office in Delhi. The government should at least think twice before implementing this rule,”

“The traffic police must conduct extensive checks at the border, but people like us (office-goers) cannot afford to be stopped by traffic police personnel, issued a challan and asked to return. It will eventually waste our time.”

Syyed Ali Abbas, deputy commissioner of police (traffic), Noida, said, “We are following CAQM guidelines, and action against BS-IV vehicles will be taken after the imposition of Grap Stage III. Currently, action is being taken against buses and trucks and vehicles covered under Grap Stage I.”