JOIN USAutomobile dealers in Delhi are taking orders for diesel vehicles, even as their registration has been stopped after the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) December 11 ban.
The green court has banned the registration of diesel-powered vehicles till January 6 as the city experiences alarming levels of air pollution, partly due to diesel emissions.
“You can book with us, we’re also giving customers options to convert to petrol variant later,” said a sales executive of a Hyundai showroom in Najafgarh area.
The bookings, however, don’t come with a promise of timely delivery. Fate of new diesel cars will depend on the court’s next hearing in January. Car dealers on Monday queued up at the region transport offices to register vehicles for which bookings came before the court’s order.
“No new registrations took place on Monday,” said a senior transport official. The decision on whether the government will allow registration of vehicles booked prior to the NGT’s ban is still unclear.
“Many customers who booked diesel cars are now opting for petrol variants,” the sales executive said.
As demand for diesel cars has started to dwindle, another automobile dealer in Connaught Place promises 100 per cent refund of booking amount in case it fails get the registration done in time.
“The diesel variant of recently launched Maruti Baleno will be delivered within a month’s time. For its petrol variant, the waiting period is two months,” said a sales executive of Competent Automobiles Co. Ltd.
Notwithstanding claims made by salespersons, automakers are confused over delivery of already booked vehicles.