RTO starts drive against older vehicles

Around 16% of all registered vehicles in Noida will have to be scrapped, according to the transport department’s database. According to orders from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), all such vehicles need to be phased out from the Delhi NCR region owing to high levels of air pollution

The Gautam Budh Nagar transport department has launched a drive to either scrap or transfer (to other districts) all petrol vehicles older than 15 years, and diesel vehicles older than 10 years.

Noida, India- October 06, 2022: A view of vehicles plying on the road. The transport department has started a drive against petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years in the district asking these to be scrapped or transferred to other districts, in Noida, India, on Thursday, October 06, 2022. (Photo by Sunil Ghosh / Hindustan Times) (To go with Snehil’s story) (Hindustan Times)

Around 16% of all registered vehicles in Noida will have to be scrapped, according to the transport department’s database. According to orders from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), all such vehicles need to be phased out from the Delhi NCR region owing to high levels of air pollution. The Regional Transport Office (RTO) has 8,26,110 vehicles registered with it, including 94,299 diesel, and 7,31,811 petrol vehicles. A total of 134073 vehicles (25,238 diesel and 1,08,835 petrol vehicles) will have to be deregistered in accordance with NGT directions.

“We have started a drive from October and will ask all such vehicle owners to get their vehicles scrapped or get a no objection certificate (NOC) for other districts where the air quality is better. We are trying to get in touch with the owners and are also checking the registration of all vehicles stopped during routine checks,” Siyaram Verma, assistant regional transport officer, said.

He added that the RTO will also ask traffic police for help with the initiative. Intensive checking will be initiated during the winter months and all vehicles found to be not deregistered or transferred will be seized.

“All vehicles that are deregistered will not be permitted to run in Delhi NCR. However, the authorities will issue NOC for such vehicles to be registered outside Delhi NCR. We further clarify that in terms of the order of the tribunal every state has to identify areas where the dispersion is higher and vehicular density is least,” the state government order issued in this regard said.

The Uttar Pradesh government has identified 34 districts where vehicles from the Delhi NCR region can be transferred, including Amethi, Bijnor, Chitrakoot, Mahoba, Budaun, Hardoi, Pilibhit, Etawah, Kannauj, Ballia and Kushinagar among others.