New Delhi: Starting Saturday, commercial goods vehicles that do not meet BS IV standards will be prohibited from entering Delhi. To enforce this rule, multiple teams from the Transport Department and the Traffic Police will be deployed, officials said. The Transport Department, working with the Traffic Police, has formed 23 enforcement teams.
A senior official said: We have prepared a strategy to monitor incoming vehicles. About 90 per cent of commercial vehicles enter Delhi through 23 major entry points. Teams made up of Traffic Police personnel and Transport Department enforcement officers will be posted at these locations, and vehicles not meeting the required norms will be turned back.
The 23 locations include Kundli border, Rajokri border, Tikri border, Aya Nagar border, Kalindi Kunj border, Auchandi, Mandoli, Kapashera, and Bajghera Toll on the Dwarka Expressway, among others.
What the new Delhi entry vehicle rules mean
Each team will be supervised by an inspector level officer. Officials estimate that between 50,000 and 70,000 commercial vehicles currently fall below the BS IV standard. The department sought precise data from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, but exact figures were not available.
The enforcement operation will run in two shifts, from 8 am to 8 pm, and from 8 pm to 8 am.
BS IV compliant commercial goods vehicles will be allowed to enter Delhi until October 31, 2026 as part of a transitional arrangement. There will be no restrictions on commercial goods vehicles registered in Delhi, BS VI diesel vehicles, BS IV diesel vehicles until October 31 2026, or vehicles running on CNG, LNG, or electricity.
On October 17, the Commission for Air Quality Management approved a wider ban on the entry of polluting commercial vehicles into Delhi from November 1, amid rising concerns over air quality. A senior Traffic Police officer said that coordination has been established with Haryana Police, since a large number of vehicles enter from Gurugram. Personnel from both sides will be deployed at more than 120 checkpoints to prevent BS I, BS II, and BS III vehicles from entering the national capital.
Transporter Rajendra Kapoor said that the restrictions may lead to increased prices of essential goods, which could affect consumers. He suggested that the government should identify more effective pollution control measures rather than focusing only on vehicle restrictions.
Delhi’s air quality improved on Friday, with the Air Quality Index dropping to 218 from 373 the previous day. Experts attributed the improvement to rainfall and stronger wind speeds across the region. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the reading of 218 at 4 pm marked a shift from the earlier very poor category.
Article source: indiatvnews.com
