There should be no age cap if vehicles don't cause pollution, says Delhi CM

New Delhi: Delhi government has submitted before the Supreme Court that vehicles that pass the fitness test and don't cause pollution should be allowed to ply in the national capital without the age cap, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Saturday, asserting that rules should be uniform in the country.

"A polluting vehicle should be phased out even if it is five years old. However, if a vehicle does not cause any pollution and passes the fitness test, then there should be no condition on it," she told reporters on the sidelines of an event here.

Alleging that the failure of previous governments in Delhi to control pollution led to such restrictions, she expressed the hope that the court will take cognisance of her government's stand.

The Delhi government has moved the Supreme Court challenging the blanket ban on diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Bhushan R Gavai is likely to hear the plea on July 28, which seeks recall of the court's October 29, 2018, order that upheld the National Green Tribunal's initial directive.

"There should be the same rules in Delhi as are applicable anywhere else in the country," the chief minister said.

It's the duty of the government to present the public view before the court, the Delhi Chief Minister said.

"Previous governments in Delhi did nothing to control pollution and they let people choke, which is why the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had to prohibit 10-year-old diesel and 15-year-old petrol vehicles," she said.

The government is ensuring that all possible efforts are being made for a better environment in Delhi.

The chief minister said that the vehicles should be phased out if they cause pollution.

The government has, in its plea, submitted that a comprehensive policy is required to tackle pollution in Delhi-NCR, which gives vehicle fitness based on actual emission levels of individual vehicles as per scientific methods rather than implementing a blanket ban based solely on age.

The apex court had earlier directed the transport departments of states in the National Capital Region (NCR) that all diesel vehicles more than 10 years old and petrol vehicles more than 15 years old shall not ply in line with the order of the NGT passed in 2014.