Delhi is taking a significant step to combat air pollution by enforcing a ban on commercial goods vehicles that do not meet BS-IV emission standards. Starting Saturday, November 1st, these vehicles will be prohibited from entering the city.
To ensure compliance, the transport department, in partnership with the traffic police, has established 23 dedicated enforcement teams. These teams will be strategically stationed at crucial entry points, monitoring approximately 90% of vehicle traffic into the capital. Senior officials stated that these teams will be responsible for identifying and turning away vehicles that fail to meet the required BS-IV norms.
Key border points such as Kundli, Rajokri, Tikri, Aya Nagar, and Kalindi Kunj, among others, will see increased checks. Each team will be supervised by an inspector. Authorities estimate that between 50,000 and 70,000 commercial vehicles currently operating are below the BS-IV standard, though exact figures are still being gathered.
The enforcement will be conducted in two shifts, running from 8 AM to 8 PM and 8 PM to 8 AM. As a transitional measure, BS-IV compliant commercial goods vehicles will be allowed entry until October 31, 2026. Vehicles registered within Delhi, those compliant with BS-VI diesel standards, BS-IV compliant diesel vehicles (until October 31, 2026), and vehicles running on alternative fuels like CNG, LNG, or electricity will not be affected by this ban.
This decision aligns with the Commission for Air Quality Management’s (CAQM) recent approval of a broad ban on polluting commercial vehicles entering Delhi, driven by the city’s persistent air quality challenges.
Collaboration with neighboring states is also crucial. A senior traffic police officer highlighted coordination meetings with Haryana Police to ensure effective checks on vehicles entering from the Gurugram side, aiming to prevent BS-I, BS-II, and BS-III vehicles from entering Delhi. Over 120 locations have been identified for these inspections.
While the environmental benefits are anticipated, some transporters, like Rajendra Kapoor, have voiced concerns. He suggested that the ban might lead to increased prices for essential goods, impacting the public. Kapoor recommended that the government consider a wider range of anti-pollution strategies beyond vehicle bans.
In positive news, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) saw an improvement on Friday, dropping to 218 from the previous day’s 373. Experts attribute this improvement to recent rainfall and increased wind speeds across the National Capital Region. The AQI reading of 218 places it in the “poor” category, a significant improvement from the “very poor” classification recorded earlier.