End-of-life vehicles in Delhi: 17 facilities asked to deposit scrap value of unclaimed vehicles today, warned of action otherwise
According to guidelines, the facilities have to deposit the scrap value of unclaimed vehicles to the department within 15 days of the same being impounded
To control air pollution, the department had launched a drive against end-of-life vehicles plying illegally in Delhi before Diwali in October (Express Photo) Seventeen Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities, authorised by the Delhi Transport department to impound end-of-life petrol and diesel vehicles in a drive held between October 11, 2024 and February 22, 2025, are yet to deposit the scrap value of unclaimed vehicles.
According to guidelines, the facilities have to deposit the scrap value of unclaimed vehicles to the department within 15 days of the same being impounded. Officials said this did not happen despite multiple warnings issued by the department.
Following this, on April 9, the department wrote to the facilities giving them the “last opportunity” to deposit the amount by April 15, warning of strict action otherwise.
“All the RVSFs are directed to check the number of vehicles impounded and handed over to them by the enforcement teams of the Transport department for the period from October 11, 2024 to February 22, 2025… all must submit their data in hard copy as well as soft copy to the scrapping by April 15. This is the last opportunity provided to all the RVSF… if any fail to submit the data, all vehicles handed over to the RVSFs will be deemed unclaimed vehicles and action will be taken accordingly,” said the scrapping cell of department in a communication to all the 17 RVSFs.
It added that the department will take strict action – such as disengagement, debarment and blacklisting of the RVSFs.
To control air pollution, the department had launched a drive against end-of-life vehicles plying illegally in Delhi before Diwali in October. According to official data, 17 RVSFs were involved in the drive. During this period, 28,049 vehicles were impounded and handed over to the 17 facilities. Among them, 16,291 were petrol vehicles (mostly car and two-wheelers), 838 diesel and 10,919 were electric vehicles (e-rickshaws).
Officials said the department has also sought details regarding the number of vehicles impounded, vehicle number, name of registered owner, date of seizure, type, and fuel type, among others.
A source said, “…Complaints were received from vehicle owners that they were receiving messages of their vehicles crossing state borders, while they had got them scrapped. We also received complaints of vehicles going missing, RVSFs scrapping vehicles without approaching the owner and selling them in other states by changing number plates…”
“Some people have filed complaints with the police and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). Now, all enforcement agencies are seeking data and scrap money from the scrapping units,” the source added.
The MCD, which along with the Traffic Police, had launched a similar drive between last October and February, has also issued notices to the scrapping facilities it had authorised to impound such vehicles, seeking details and amount to be deposited for scrapping the unclaimed vehicles.
The ACB, meanwhile, has recently booked 12 MCD officials from Shahdara South Zone for allegedly selling impounded vehicles in other states instead of scrapping them.
According to the FIR, in December 2021, 609 seized vehicles were identified by MCD Shahdara South Zone for auction and a proposal for the same was initiated. However, the same could not be completed.
In 2024, the Shahdara South Zone handed over 281 seized vehicles to scrapping facility Pineview and payment was received by the MCD for the same. However, during verification, the zone reported that only nine vehicles were available in its stores. No record with regards to the remaining 319 seized vehicles was available with the zone.
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