SC refuses to extend deadline for old vehicles

The bench directed the chief secretary and transport commissioner of Delhi Government to file by January 31 affidavits detailing the status report on compliance of the September 22 order.

The government submitted that the direction to ban plying of over 20-year-old commercial vehicles, including buses, taxis and three-wheelers, had already been implemented.

Hegde, however, requested that 160 vehicles, which were over 20 years old, engaged in public distribution system be permitted toply. The court refused to entertain the plea.

Meanwhile, the bench issued notice to Union Government asking to reply within three weeks to a petition by Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) alleging the government had failed to allot sites and electricity connections for setting up compressed natural gas (CNG) filling stations.

The Apex Court on September 22 had relaxed the October two deadline for phasing out 15-year-old commercial vehicles to December 31 this year.

The bench had directed that over 20-year-old commercial vehicles would be banned in Delhi from October two and added that with effect from November 15 no 17-year-old commercial vehicle would ply in Delhi.

The court had made it clear that the ban order would also apply to all those vehicles entering Delhi from other states and directed the transport department and the Delhi traffic police to diligently implement this.

Of the 9,349 vehicles which were over 20 years old, Hegde submitted over 1,400 vehicles were impounded and 4,600three-wheelers were scrapped.

There are over 3,200 17-year-old vehicles and 4,962 15-year-old ones in Delhi.