Delhi transport dept: Applications pending, impounded old vehicles not to be dismantled until November 29

An order issued by the cell on Monday stated: “All registered scrapping agencies associated with the Transport department… for the enforcement drive… are directed not to start scrapping activity of impounded vehicles up to November 29… in respect of applicants whose applications are still pending with the department.” The department has also directed the Scrapping Cell to share the list of pending applications with the RVSFs.

While Principal Secretary-cum-Commissioner (Transport) Prashant Goyal did not reply to queries, Special Commissioner (Transport) Sachin Shinde said, “The applications for release of ELVs need to be decided as per standard operating procedure.”

According to the guidelines regarding handling of ELVs, a vehicle owner has to submit an application seeking provisional release of his vehicle within three weeks of it being impounded. The transport department has to decide whether to release the vehicle within a week of receiving the application.

If the department allows the application, it will issue a release order after taking an undertaking from the owner that the vehicle will not be plied or parked in a public place and that it will be parked in private parking. If the owner does not claim his vehicle three weeks after its release order is issued, the RVSFs can scrap it.
The guidelines – issued in February — also state that the department has to develop an online portal to facilitate the process between enforcement agencies, RVSFs and vehicle owners.

However, the enforcement drive was launched on October 11, before the portal was developed. The portal went live on October 21, allowing only owners to submit applications seeking release of vehicles.

“The department had to develop the portal to facilitate the process… but we have no access to it. It is not fully developed… As per guidelines, the scrapping agencies can scrap vehicles if not claimed in three weeks. But how are we supposed to know which vehicle has been released and which has not,” asked Vikram Bakshi, Director of Pineview Technology Limited, a RVSF registered with the department.

He added, “Now, the department has stopped us from scrapping vehicles. Keeping vehicles in a pit also creates pollution and is a waste of our resources…This is not only a business loss for us but vehicle owners also have to pay… custody charge/parking fees till their vehicle is parked in our unit. The charges double after seven days of a vehicle being impounded.”

Besides parking charges, the owner also has to pay a penalty of Rs 10,000 for a car and Rs 5,000 for a two-wheeler to get it is released. “…the portal is new, so there is huge pendency,” a senior department official said.

Meanwhile, the RVSFs are planning to go on a strike from Monday over the order and other issues. So far, 3,000 overaged vehicles have been impounded in the enforcement drive, which is still continuing. Further, the department has received about 485 applications from owners whose vehicles have been impounded in the drive. Release orders have been issued for over 100 vehicles, said officials.