NEW DELHI: Delhi is preparing to shut its roads to a large number of vehicles registered outside the national capital every winter, turning what was earlier an emergency pollution-control measure under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) into an annual restriction.
In a policy shift, the Delhi government on Saturday announced that vehicles registered in other states and Union territories that do not meet BS-VI emission standards will be barred from plying in the capital every year between November 1 and January 31. The move has made the winter ban a recurring feature of Delhi’s pollution-control strategy rather than a restriction triggered only by deteriorating air quality.
Under the transport department’s latest public notification, other state-registered BS-VI and older vehicles will not be allowed on Delhi roads during this three-month window every year. The restriction will also cover commercial goods vehicles, including light, medium and heavy goods vehicles, as well as buses meeting BS-VI or lower emission standards. Even buses operating under All India Tourist Permits and other service regimes will fall within its ambit.
The implications are significant for thousands of commuters, commercial vehicle operators and motorists travelling into Delhi from neighbouring states. A vehicle legally registered and operating in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab or any other state could find itself barred from entering the national capital simply because it does not meet the BS-VI benchmark.
The government also made it clear that the restriction is not limited to private vehicles. Commercial transport and inter-state bus operations will also face the restrictions, potentially disrupting regular movement of people and goods during the winter months.
To enforce the ban, the transport department has deployed around 250 personnel at key entry points, toll plazas and pollution hotspots. Major checkpoints include DND, Rajokri on NH-48, Ghazipur, Singhu, Tikri and Badarpur.
The Electric and CNG vehicles however have been exempted from the restrictions. The department has also approached neighbouring states, including Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, urging them to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles and BS-VI-compliant transport.
