NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday allowed registration of diesel vehicles purchased by Delhi’s municipal corporations as per BS-IV fuel emission norms before April 1. The apex court order relates to registration of CNG, BS-IV and BS-VI compliant vehicles being used by municipalities for essential services, including garbage collection and ambulances, subject to verification of norms/compliances.
Only those BS-IV vehicles which are being used by municipal corporations for utilities and details of which were uploaded on the government’s e-Vahan portal have been allowed for registration. All the three types of vehicles used for utilities will be allowed to be registered by the transport department in line with the rules and regulations.
In 2017, the apex court had decided to bar sales and registration of BS-IV vehicles from 1 April, 2020 to control rising pollution levels in Indian cities. The apex court had earlier this year pulled up automobile dealers association for not following its earlier directives and selling BS-IV vehicles during the lockdown in last week of March and after March 31 as well.
It had said that BS IV vehicles sold after March 31 and those whose details have not been uploaded on the e-Vahan portal of the government will not be registered. The bench said to avoid repeated applications being filed before the court just for the purpose of getting registration. “We direct that the EPCA shall scrutiny the pending cases and submit a report.”