Delhi’s fuel ban on overage petrol and diesel vehicles isn’t a foolproof method to combat air pollution. A holistic approach that takes into account the scrappage policy and the meagre incentives for upgrading to a less-polluting vehicle is needed, explains Banasree Purkayastha
l What does the Delhi government order say?
THE DELHI GOVERNMENT last week said fuel pumps in the national capital territory will not sell petrol and diesel to vehicles older than 15 and 10 years, respectively, from April 1. The move is aimed at curbing vehicular emissions and putting a check on air pollution in the city. Older vehicles (more than 15 years old) are estimated to emit 10-12 times more pollutants compared to new vehicles.
In a 2018 order, the Supreme Court had banned diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years in Delhi. Since then, the order has been implemented more in the breach, with authorities annually resuming crackdowns on vehicles that had crossed the SC-mandated expiry date during the winter season, when pollution is at its peak in Delhi. The latest action, thus, is a follow-up on the SC order, to prevent plying of these vehicles on the capital city’s roads.
Delhi currently has around 500 fuel stations. There are around 5.5 million overage vehicles in the city, with two-wheelers accounting for 66% of the fleet.
l Should age be the only criterion?
THE GOVERNMENT SEEMS to have taken the easy way out for filtering out polluting vehicles, by choosing the age of the vehicle as the criterion. The annual renewal of the pollution under control (PUC) certificate is also rendered meaningless with this. Even if a vehicle is older than 15 years, if the vehicle is well-maintained its emission levels can be within the permissible limits. The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) that comes into effect every winter already sees BS 3 petrol and BS 4 diesel vehicles forced off the roads, even if they have valid PUC certificates. While vehicles conforming to BS 6 norms are the least polluting as they adhere to the most-stringent emission norms, not every vehicle on the road can be a BS 6 vehicle. A more exacting parameter would have been the actual fitness status of each vehicle. But that would require proper vetting of each vehicle, a task that may seem impossible given that inspection protocols are not adhered to in most PUC centres.
l Will this mean clean philosophy in Delhi?
VEHICULAR EMISSIONS ARE seen as the biggest contributor to Delhi’s air pollution, especially in winter, with an estimated 1.1 million vehicles entering and exiting the city daily. For overage vehicles entering Delhi, the curb on refuelling will not be an effective deterrent as these vehicles can enter the city with a full fuel tank. The same goes for vehicles registered in Delhi, as these can just cross the state borders to refuel. Since the 15-year lifespan is mandatory only in Delhi, selling the vehicle in another city is also an option, thus only moving the polluting vehicle to another state and not scrapping it altogether. As such, a pan-India comprehensive vehicular emission standard would yield better results. Also, there is no scientific study that proves only vehicles older than 15 years are responsible for air pollution. The government should also address other sources of pollution such as industries and construction activities.
l Availability of scrappage centres
IN 2021, THE central government had launched a vehicle scrappage policy, specifically targeted at commercial vehicles more than 15 years old and private vehicles over 20 years old. While the aim is to create a robust network of registered vehicle scrapping facilities (RVSFs), there is still not enough of them. The road transport ministry’s Parivahan portal lists 148 RVSFs in India. There are no RVSFs in Delhi. For vehicle owners who may not want to purchase another one, selling it in a neighbouring state is perhaps easier and more viable. As such, the incentives for scrapping a vehicle need to be more than the money made by selling an old car. Last year, the government had said it was working on a scrappage policy based on pollution potential instead of the current one, which is based on the age of the vehicle. There has been no word on it since then.
l Combining OEM discounts & tax waivers
THE DELHI ORDER could, however, lead to many vehicle owners considering upgrading to less-polluting vehicles. Since 2020, passenger vehicle makers have had to switch to BS 6 norms, from the earlier BS 4. Around 37 upcoming BS6 passenger vehicles will be launched in India in 2025-2027. Among these 37 upcoming cars, there are 26 SUVs, one convertible, three MUVs, three sedans, three hatchbacks and one coupe. The demand for electric vehicles as well as hybrid cars has also shown an uptick. However, a carrot-and-stick policy is needed to nudge people into sending their old vehicles for scrapping.
Though last year in September, automobile companies agreed to offer discounts of up to 1.5-3% on the ex-showroom price for passenger vehicles against scrapped vehicles, more needs to be done on this front. Passenger vehicle manufacturers are offering these discounts for a period of 1-1.5 years. This limited-time offer was intended to encourage quick adoption of the scheme. Eighteen states and Union Territories had announced a waiver on pending liabilities on the vehicles deposited at the registered scrapping centres. Also, more waivers on road tax and registration fees could offer an added incentive to go for BS6 cars.