The Supreme Court on Wednesday (16 December) imposed a blanket ban on the registration of diesel vehicles, SUVs and luxury cars of engine capacity of 2,000 cc and above in the entire National Capital Region. This ban will continue till 31 March 2016. The court also increased by 100 percent the environment compensation charge (ECC) for the commercial vehicles entering Delhi.
The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur also said that no commercial vehicle registered prior to 2005 will enter Delhi and all the taxis will have to switch over to CNG by March 31, 2016.
A 100% increase in ECC would now mean that light commercial vehicles with two axles will have to pay Rs. 1,400 for entering Delhi and commercial vehicles with three and four axles will have to pay Rs. 2,600 for each trip for entering Delhi.
The court directed the Delhi government and all civic bodies to stop burning of waste in Delhi. It also asked the Central Pollution Control Board and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to enforce construction norms strictly to stop builders from polluting the city. The court has directed that its order will override all the other orders passed by other forums, including the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
Banning the registration of SUVs and private cars of the capacity of 2,000 CC and above using diesel as fuel up to March 31, the court said: “We are of the view that the new commercial light duty diesel vehicles can for the present continue being registered in Delhi on account of the dependence of the public on such vehicles for supply of essentials.”
The judges noted that diesel vehicles with engine capacity of 2,000 cc and above are prone to causing higher pollution level and were used by the more affluent.
“A ban on registration of such vehicles will not therefore affect the common man or the average citizen in Delhi,” the court said.
The court also directed that all taxis including those operating under aggregators like OLA and UBER in the NCT shall move to CNG not later than March 1, 2016.
Having doubled the ECC for the loaded commercial vehicles, the court said commercial vehicles “registered in 2005 or earlier shall not qualify for such entry” and asked state governments and union territories to ensure that vehicles bearing registration numbers of 2005 or earlier do not enter Delhi.
The court noted that its October 7 order imposing the ECC was intended to restrain non-Delhi bound vehicles from entering the national capital. But it appears to have been understood to mean that vehicles not bound for Delhi could also enter by paying ECC.
“We consider it necessary to make it clear that no vehicle which is not bound for Delhi will be allowed to enter from NH-8, which connects Jaipur to Delhi and NH-1 that connects Punjab, Haryana and other northern states with Delhi via Kundli border.”
The judges said traffic from Kundli and Rajokri border shall be diverted to bypass Delhi. These account for the maximum number of vehicles entering Delhi.
