Over 13,000 overage vehicles impounded in Delhi — 99% are now scrap
As per the transport department’s scrapping cell, around 6,500 car owners did not claim their vehicles and gave consent for scrapping. “The department has received Rs 3.52 crore as scrap value for such vehicles.”
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Auto Scrapping at Ghaziabad Meerut Road Uttar Pradesh. (Express photo by Prem nath pandey)
In April 2023, Naveen Khurana’s 96 Mercedes-Benz was impounded during an enforcement drive against ‘end-of-life’ vehicles (ELVs) by the Delhi transport department. Since then, the Punjabi Bagh resident made multiple visits to the scrapyard to find out what had happened to his vintage car, to no avail.
“Despite several requests, the scrapyard did not release my vehicle… The last time I went in August, they sent me back saying they would release my car once the (ELV) policy was in place. Recently, I heard all impounded vehicles have been scrapped… I don’t know if my vehicle is in one piece…,” he said.
Nearly 99% of vehicles impounded during the drive between March and August 2023 have been scrapped, officials said. According to transport department data, 13,585 out of the total 13,760 impounded ELVs (old petrol and diesel vehicles found plying illegally on roads or parked in public places) were disposed of. Only 175 vehicles were released after court intervention.
In August 2023, the Delhi High Court had directed the department to frame a policy to release several seized ELVs on undertakings by the owner that if released, the vehicles won’t “ply or be parked in any public space” within the city.
According to an official source, 45-50% of the total vehicles were scrapped, despite court directions, in September and October last year.
A penalty of Rs 10,000 along with towing and parking charges will be levied on four-wheelers before the release.
Shahzad Alam, special commissioner (enforcement/scrapping), transport department, said, “Almost all vehicles impounded between April and August have been scrapped except those released (on orders) of the HC. Vehicles impounded in May and June and those that completed the three-month window period (for owners to give their consent) were scrapped as per the parking rules… Now, there are no vehicles…”
On why this was done after court directions, an official source looking into the matter said, “The court did not order a stay or direct us to stop the process. The department was told to frame a policy for the release of such vehicles on taking undertakings… The transport department sought advice from the law department for clarification on the matter… The scrappers were informed about the ongoing developments… by the time the department could come to a conclusion, they scrapped the vehicle as per the existing rules… They were not intimated of ongoing developments…”
The official added that in some cases, scrapyards disposed of the vehicles without the owner’s consent. “One such scrapyard was blacklisted.”
As per the transport department’s scrapping cell, around 6,500 car owners did not claim their vehicles and gave consent for scrapping. “The department has received Rs 3.52 crore as scrap value for such vehicles.”
According to new guidelines released on February 20, owners wishing to reclaim their ELV will have to submit an undertaking that the vehicle will not ply or be parked in any public place, and will be removed from the jurisdiction of Delhi. A penalty of Rs 10,000 along with towing and parking charges will be levied on four-wheelers before the release. For two-wheelers, the penalty is Rs 5,000. The special commissioner last week filed a status report on behalf of the government with a copy of the policy in court.
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