Soon, a policy to scrap Delhi’s old and abandoned vehicles
The Delhi government’s Transport Department is working on a policy for scrapping junk and abandoned vehicles on Delhi roads. Picking up abandoned and junk vehicles has consistently been a problem for civic agencies and the Delhi Traffic Police because of the lack of land to park them. The absence of a scrapping policy makes the problem worse.
The Draft Parking Policy for Delhi, released for public comments earlier this year, also pointed to the issue. “A large number of residents keep junk vehicles parked on public streets, thereby occupying valuable space in Delhi. Heavy parking charges should be prescribed to discourage such misuse of prime space,” it reads.
The responsibility of removing junk and abandoned vehicles lies with the three municipal corporations of Delhi, along with the New Delhi Municipal Council and the Traffic Police.
“One of the challenges we face when it comes to picking up these cars is that there is no place to park them and no policy to scrap them. We are in the process of finalising a scrapping policy. We are in talks with MSTC Limited to send these vehicles to their scrapping unit in Greater Noida, which is expected to open soon. The policy should be in place by next month,” said transport secretary, Varsha Joshi.
“The scrapping policy is not just for abandoned vehicles but also those who have old cars that they want to do away with, but don’t know how. They will also be able to use the facility,” she said.
According to officials, the people under whose name the vehicle is registered will be sent a notice by the competent authority to claim ownership of the vehicle. If no response is received within the stipulated time, the vehicle will be picked up, officials said.
Junk and abandoned vehicles on Delhi roads is a problem that even the Delhi Traffic Police faces. “The traffic police assists civic agencies in dealing with junk and abandoned cars. It is true that parking is a problem even if these vehicles are picked up. Even owners have little option when it comes to dealing with old cars. If the government is looking at a scrapping policy, it will be of great help,” said Delhi Police chief spokesperson Dependra Pathak.
The draft parking policy also outlines the need for a mobile application to help people report junk or abandoned cars to authorities concerned. “The government is also working on a mobile application to help people report such vehicles, but this will happen only once the scrapping policy is in place,” said an official.
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