Delhi Govt Lifts One-Year Limit on NOC Applications for Overage Vehicles
In a move offering substantial relief to numerous vehicle owners, the Delhi government has scrapped the one-year limitation on applying for No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for deregistered vehicles. The decision, announced Thursday, primarily benefits owners of diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles exceeding 15 years of age.
The revised policy enables owners to obtain an NOC to re-register their vehicles in states outside the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), irrespective of how long ago their vehicle's registration expired. An official statement confirmed that the Delhi government has decided to keep in abeyance the restrictive clause from the "Guidelines for Handling End of Life Vehicles in Public Places of Delhi, 2024". This clause previously limited NOC applications to within one year of a vehicle's registration expiry.
Delhi Transport Minister Pankaj Singh explained the rationale behind the decision: "We found that the one-year deadline for NOC was creating an unintended logjam, leaving lakhs of vehicles stranded in Delhi". He added that these vehicles were neither being scrapped nor moved out, potentially causing pollution and congestion. "By relaxing this criteria, we are empowering our citizens to make a responsible choice," Singh stated. He believes this will systematically phase out older vehicles from Delhi's roads, significantly improving air quality and decongesting the city.
The proposal to lift the restriction arose from numerous public representations and internal reviews. It ensures that vehicles deregistered due to age can be legally transferred to regions where their use is permitted, effectively removing them from Delhi's environment.
A 2018 Supreme Court ruling banned diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years in Delhi. Furthermore, a 2014 National Green Tribunal order prohibits the use of vehicles over 15 years old in public spaces. The Delhi government's recent decision aligns with these rulings by facilitating the removal of older vehicles from the city. This initiative aims to reduce pollution levels and improve air quality in the national capital. The move is expected to impact a considerable number of vehicle owners in Delhi, providing them with a viable option to relocate their older vehicles to other regions.
