Honking, red-light violations, and long queues of vehicles stuck in traffic – this was the scene at the Kalindi Kunj border between Delhi and Noida on Saturday, the third day of the Rekha Gupta government’s drive to enforce BS-VI emission and pollution under control certificate (PUCC) norms.
As traffic police personnel continued frenetic checks for vehicles flouting norms, the congestion worsened, especially when officers stopped a vehicle for inspection.
One of the officers jumped into the middle of the swarm of vehicles and waved at a blue Maruti Ciaz with a Haryana number plate. The car stopped, and so did the already slow traffic behind it, leading to another round of honking.
The driver of the vehicle was Suryabhansh Yadav, a central government employee, driving a vehicle registered in 2018. “I work in Gurgaon and live in Faridabad. Usually, I go to work from Faridabad but today I had to come to Noida for some work. I didn’t know that I couldn’t even pass through Delhi,” said Yadav.
By the time Yadav parked his vehicle on the roadside and took out his PUCC and licence, the policemen had already entered his vehicle number into the challan machine and found that the vehicle was only BS-IV compliant.
“Sir, I am just going home. Please let me pass this time,” Yadav pleaded, but he was anyway issued a challan.
The officers, however, said the snarls were nothing compared to what they had been before the enforcement drive began.
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“Most people without BS-VI vehicles are not coming. It has led to reduced traffic. Usually, it’s much worse,” said one deployed at the Kalindi Kunj toll plaza.
Soon after, a Maruti Dzire with a Uttarakhand number plate – carrying four people, including two children — is stopped.
“Sir, I am going to Uttarakhand with my family. I don’t know about the rules,” the driver said, failing to produce a valid PUCC. Vehicles behind came to a halt and the honking began again.
Official data accessed by The Indian Express showed that between Friday evening and Saturday morning, 3,533 vehicles were checked at Delhi borders, with 82 challans issued and 182 non-BS VI compliant vehicles turned away.
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Across Delhi, 2,686 challans were issued for not having a valid PUCC, while 409 challans were issued to light motor vehicles flouting BS-VI norms. West Delhi recorded the highest number of PUCC challans, at 780, for the third straight day.
Traffic officers said they are trying to contain snarls at the borders and have received additional reinforcements from the Delhi Police. “We have received 500 additional personnel to manage traffic and inspect vehicles. We expect the situation to improve in the coming days,” a senior officer said.
At Gurgaon’s Kapashera border, a Delhi Police officer said traffic has reduced by at least 30% in the last two days, though during peak hours – between 5 pm and 8 pm – it becomes difficult to check all vehicles.
“So, we make non-BS VI compliant vehicles to take a U-turn and go back to Gurgaon. I have been on a 12-hour shift since 8 am. I have challaned five vehicles in the morning and made at least 30 go back,” the officer said.
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“They have to pay a fine of Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000… why trouble people unnecessarily,” he asked.
The officer said he cannot issue challans but can only check registration and pollution certificates. “The traffic police officers have to issue challans… People are more aware of new rules now… Most of the vehicles I stop are run on CNG,” the officer added.
At the Aya Nagar border on the busy Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, while the Delhi Police post is empty, two officers take turns to man the barricades put up at the border.
“At peak hours, you can see how much traffic is here… we cannot do much. We check some cars, but the Haryana Police personnel posted on the other side are ensuring that non-compliant cars take a U-turn rather than being allowed to enter Delhi,” said an officer.
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They concur that more people are following the new rules now.
“Our personnel are deployed at the Kapashera, Aya Nagar, Dwarka Expressway and Sarhol (Delhi-Jaipur Expressway). We have been active at the border areas since the GRAP was implemented, and are coordinating with Delhi Police,” a Gurgaon Traffic Police spokesperson said.
In view of the worsening air quality, a ban on the entry of non-Delhi private vehicles that do not meet BS-VI emission standards had come into force in the Capital on Thursday. Enforcement of the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ rule has also begun, with fuel stations barred from dispensing fuel to vehicles without a valid PUCC.
