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As restrictions under the Graded Action Plan (GRAP) Stage 3 kicked in on Thursday, with the air quality turning ‘severe, the Delhi Traffic Police swung into action to crack down on traffic violators. In a single day (November 15), 514 light motor vehicles (BS lll petrol and BS lV diesel) banned from plying under the restrictions were issued challans of Rs 20,000 each — a whopping Rs 1 crore in total.
Since October 11 till November 15, over 1.38 lakh challans, worth Rs 138 crore, have been issued against vehicles for not having pollution under control (PUC) certificates in the national capital, Delhi Police data shows. Also, 5,288 challans were issued against overage or end-of-life (ELV) petrol and diesel vehicles found plying.
On Friday alone, data shows:
-4,852 vehicles were issued challans for not having a PUC certificate — averaging 202 challans an hour and Rs 20 lakh worth of challans.
-138 ELVs were impounded, an average of almost six vehicles an hour.
-The most challans for PUC certificate violations — 1,235 — were issued in the Western Traffic Range of Delhi. The lowest was issued in the New Delhi Range at 322.
-Most ELVs (35) were impounded from the Western Traffic Range and Northern Range. The lowest ELVs impounded — just one — were from the New Delhi Range.
In the past week, between November 8 and 14, 1,060 ELVs were impounded while 33,819 challans, worth more than Rs 33 crore were issued to vehicles for not having a PUC certificate.
“On average, we have approximately issued 5,000 challans a day for the past month and have sent around 150 vehicles to RVSFs (Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities,” said Additional CP (Traffic) Dinesh K Gupta.
On October 11, a joint drive was started by the Delhi Transport Department, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, and the Delhi Traffic Police to crack down on ELVs.
“The Transport department had also written to the Delhi Traffic Police for extra deployment to take ELVs off the roads. We have complied following that, which has led to challans and confiscation of around 1,400 ELVs in the past week itself,” a senior traffic police officer said.
According to officers, four teams of Traffic Police personnel have been deployed in each of the 12 MCD zones to issue challans for not having PUC certificates, for ELVs, non-destined trucks and LMVs. The drive is expected to continue till December.
“For overage vehicles, we will continue to be vigilant till all such vehicles are impounded,” said Special CP (Traffic Zone-ll) Ajay Chaudhary.
On complaints of unjust challans issued in the name of being visibly polluting, Additional CP Satya Vir Katara said police haven’t received any direct complaints. “If people think their challans are unjust, they can appeal against it and we’ll take action,” a senior traffic police officer said.
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