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Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Rushing Now, Paying Later: Capital Sees 14% Rise In Speeding Offences
New Delhi: The number of prosecutions related to speeding saw a 14% increase this year compared with the same period last year. data showed that from Jan to June 15, as many as 14,27,691 notices were issued to drivers for speeding against 12,55,634 in the same period last year. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A police officer said speeding was frequent during night hours and on stretches with lighter traffic. According to the officer, commercial and heavy vehicles also raced away when the no-entry time was lifted. SUVs are regular offenders in these cases. An officer revealed that many offenders admitted to speeding for the thrill, while others were found to be intoxicated. Some claimed they were in a hurry or heading to important destinations, but the officer stressed that no justification outweighed the risks posed to public safety. "Night-time speeding, especially involving commercial vehicles and SUVs, remains a significant concern," the officer added. The data showed that Vasant Vihar, with 1,53,997 notices, led the most affected areas in traffic circles followed by Mehrauli with 1,19,356 and Mayur Vihar with 1,13,360. Ajay Chaudhary, special commissioner of police (Traffic), disclosed that in order to effectively curb the offence of speeding, law enforcement authorities had installed over-speed violation detection (OSVD) cameras at various locations. These advanced cameras are designed to automatically detect vehicles exceeding the speed limit and promptly send the violation details to the police control room. Rohit Baluja, president of the Institute of Road Traffic Education, highlighted that the core issue behind speeding lay in the improper determination of speed limits, which should follow sound traffic engineering principles. He stressed ambiguity in setting and displaying speed limits, citing the Motor Vehicles Act, Section 112, standing order 1522(E), and Indian Road Congress Codes of Practice as essential references. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Baluja also said that many drivers sped to compensate for lost time or due to a lack of monitoring. He recommended placing speed signs on both sides of roads and repeating them after every junction. Enforcement, especially at night, is minimal and urgently needs improvement. Transport expert Anil Chhikara recalled that in the 1980s, vehicles used to vibrate when driven above 60kmph. This served as a natural deterrent to speeding. However, with car manufacturing and technologies improving, today, even at speeds of 100 kmph, there are no such vehicular alerts and the cars race ahead comfortably even at such speeds. He also said that driver training did not adequately emphasise the importance of avoiding speeding.
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Min: Will soon close Ganpati mandals' sound pollution cases
Mumbai: Sound pollution cases filed against Ganpati mandal office bearers and members will soon be withdrawn, said culture minister Ashish Shelar in the assembly on Friday. The committee reviewing withdrawal of political and social protest cases will also look at those filed against Ganpati mandals, he said in response to a point of information raised by Sena (UBT) MLA Ajay Chaudhary. Shelar heads the panel. "Many office bearers of Ganpati mandals were booked under noise pollution norms. Cases were filed. These cases must be withdrawn like other political and social protest cases are withdrawn. The Ganpati festival is approaching. These cases must be withdrawn before that," Chaudhary said. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai The permissible sound levels in residential areas are 55dB from 6am-10pm and 45dB from 10pm-6am. In 2024, the national green tribunal's (NGT) Pune bench had ordered real-time monitoring of noise around Ganesh pandals and during immersion processions as part of various directives aimed at curbing sound pollution during the 10-day Ganeshotsav. —Chaitanya Marpakwar
Hindustan Times
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
In pics: Fuel ban for overage petrol and diesel vehicles kicks in Delhi
1/7 The fuel ban on overage vehicles in Delhi has kicked in on July 1. On the very first day, 80 overage vehicles were impounded, said the officials. With this rule kicking in, owners of petrol vehicles aged 15 years or more and diesel vehicles older than 10 years can not buy fuel from any fuel station in the national capital. Besides that, the overage vehicles parked in public places, as well as at the fuel stations, can be impounded by law enforcement agencies. (AFP) 2/7 Fuel stations across Delhi have been asked not to provide fuel to end-of-life (EoL) vehicles starting July 1, under the directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), with the Transport Department, along with the Delhi Police and traffic personnel putting in place a detailed enforcement strategy to ensure strict compliance. (PTI) 3/7 With the no fuel to overage or ELV policy kicked in, more than 500 fuel stations in Delhi have installed the ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Reader) smart cameras that detect the vehicle's registration plate and fetch data from VAHAN about the fuel category, registration year, etc. If found overage, the speaker integrated into the system announces the vehicle as overage. Based on that, the fuel station employees don't sell fuel to those vehicles. (AFP) 4/7 A seized vehicle parked at a godown after fuel ban for end-of-life (EoL) vehicles under the directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), in New Delhi, Tuesday, July 1, 2025. A total of 98 such overage vehicles were detected on the very first day the rule kicked in, and 80 of them were impounded by the law enforcement officials. The owners of ELVs can retrieve their vehicles from the scrappage facilities in 15 days. However, they will have to pay a fine and get the vehicle registered outside Delhi, where such vehicles are allowed, after getting an NOC from the Transport Department (PTI) 5/7 Across the national capital, fuel stations either did not receive overage vehicles or shared that there was not much of an issue on the first day. The Transport Department has chalked out a detailed deployment plan involving personnel from its organisation, Delhi Police, Traffic Police and the MCD. According to Delhi Police, 24 vehicles were impounded from the commencement of the drive from 6 am till 1 pm on Tuesday. (AFP) 6/7 Speaking on this drive, Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Ajay Chaudhary has said that the main objective of this drive is to make the environment of Delhi better and reduce pollution. He also said that this is an ongoing drive, and from November 1, areas around Delhi will also implement this policy of not giving fuels to ELVs (end-of-life vehicles). (PTI) 7/7 The latest directive from CAQM came in line with a 2018 Supreme Court judgment that had banned diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years in Delhi. A 2014 National Green Tribunal order also prohibits the parking of vehicles aged over 15 years in public places. (AFP) First Published Date: 02 Jul 2025, 10:36 AM IST
Indian Express
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- Indian Express
Day 1 of ban on overage vehicles in Delhi: 80 vehicles impounded, many carry bottles for petrol
It's 2 pm and several green and yellow autorickshaws are in queue at the Bahadurshah Zafar Marg petrol pump. So are a dozen cars. A man, carrying only a plastic container, walks up to the manager at the pump. 'Sir bottle me petrol milega kya (Will you give me petrol in a bottle),' he asked. 'We can't do that… please go away,' the manager replied. Tuesday was the first day of the fuel ban on end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) — diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles over 15 years – in the Capital. While 80 vehicles were seized, 98 people, whose vehicles could not be impounded, were issued notices on Tuesday, a senior officer from the Delhi Transport department stated. To implement the ban, 350 teams from various departments, including the Delhi Police, the MCD and the Transport department, have been stationed 24×7 across the 498 petrol pumps in the Capital. Among these petrol pumps, The Indian Express visited 10 on Tuesday. In all the 498 petrol pumps, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras have been installed to scan licence plates for vehicles and instantly cross-check their details against the data registered in the Union government's VAHAN portal. In case the vehicle is flagged as ELV or lacking a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC), an audio alert is sent to the petrol pump operator. 'A Maruti 800, which was used to deliver drinking water at our pump, has now stopped coming,' the pump manager at Bahadurshah Zafar Marg told The Indian Express. 'Whenever that car used to come, the microphone raised an alert – 'don't refuel this vehicle, it's 15 years old',' an employee who has been working at the petrol pump said. The APNR cameras had been installed at the station three months ago, he added. 'Since morning, 600 vehicles have come here. None of them were ELVs. However, 10-12 people have asked us for petrol in containers. We have refused every time,' the manager said. At 100 petrol pumps, Delhi Police personnel have also been deployed. 'We have impounded one vehicle since morning. The ANPRs are very helpful… these announce whenever the cameras spot an old vehicle,' a police officer deployed at the Ashram Chowk petrol pump said. Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Ajay Chaudhary said, 'Though we have seized over 18,000 ELVs vehicles till now in 2025, no major impact could be seen on the pollution levels… A decision to stop giving fuel has been taken to ensure that such vehicle owners either move their vehicles out of Delhi or hand them over to the scrappers.' 'All the agencies involved, Delhi Transport department, MCD, Delhi Traffic Police and local police are working together… No unpleasant incident has occurred so far,' he added. At the Nizamuddin West Petrol pump, an employee told The Indian Express, 'Since morning, 1,200 cars had come to the pump, but none were ELVs. I think the main reason is that people are aware of what's happening.' 'Officials from MCD, Transport department and Delhi Police have been visiting us for the last few weeks. We are complying with orders. If someone with an old vehicle misbehaves with us when we refuse to give fuel, we call the police,' he added. Since morning, 1,200 cars had come to the pump, but none were ELVs, he said. The ban follows orders issued earlier this year by the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), which mandated that fuel be denied to ELVs starting July 1. According to CAQM estimates, Delhi-NCR's transport sector contributes about 28% of PM 2.5, 41% of SO2 (sulphur dioxide), and 78% of NOX (nitrous oxide) emissions to overall air pollution.
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Business Standard
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Business Standard
80 vehicles impounded as fuel ban on overage vehicles begins in Delhi
Amid high surveillance, tight security and multi-agency coordination, the fuel ban on overage vehicles kicked in Delhi on Tuesday with 80 such vehicles being impounded, officials said. Petrol pumps across Delhi have been asked not to provide fuel to end-of-life (EoL) vehicles starting Tuesday under the directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), with the Transport Department along with the Delhi Police and traffic personnel putting in place a detailed enforcement strategy to ensure strict compliance. According to an official from the Transport Department, 98 vehicles were captured on camera, out of which 80 were impounded -- 45 by the Transport Department, 34 by the Delhi Police and one by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Petrol pumps either did not receive overage vehicles or they shared that there was not much of an issue on the first day. The Transport Department has chalked out a detailed deployment plan involving personnel from its organisation, Delhi Police, Traffic Police and the MCD. Stations like Sai Ram Filling Station in Sector 11, Rohini; IOCL Karun Filling Station in Sector 11, Rohini; and the IOCL outlet at Ground Floor, Sector 24, Rohini confirmed that no overage vehicles approached for fuel. At the petrol pump near Bhai Veer Singh Marg in Lutyens' Delhi, a policeman said two vehicles were impounded. "The owners did ask us to let the vehicles go but there was not much resistance. The procedures were followed as required and the matter was handled without any disruption," he said. In Moti Bagh, a pump attendant at the IOCL station said all arrangements were in place with the deployment of officers and placement of a banner informing customers about the ban. "We have received full training from the pump head. Staff were clearly told not to fuel overage vehicles. The process was being followed strictly and police were helping handle any issues smoothly," said an employee. At the Dhaula Kuan HP station, while there was no police presence, an employee said if an EoL vehicle was arriving, it would be denied fuel immediately. "The pump serves high-profile customers, so there were no arguments or resistance," he said, adding the staff had been instructed in advance and the government was helpful throughout the process. According to police, 24 vehicles were impounded from the commencement of the drive from 6 am till 1 pm. Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Ajay Chaudhary told PTI, "The main objective of this drive is to make the environment of Delhi better and reduce the pollution. This is an ongoing drive and from November 1, areas around Delhi will also implement this policy of not giving fuels to ELVs (end-of-life vehicles)." He said the owners of ELVs can retrieve their vehicles from the scrappers in 15 days. However, they will have to pay a fine and get the vehicle registered outside Delhi (where such vehicles are allowed) after getting an NOC from the Transport Department, he explained. "Special Automatic Number Plate Reader cameras have been installed at the petrol pumps for the detection of ELVs. We appeal to the people of Delhi not to use ELVs and take steps that will help in reducing the pollution of Delhi," he said. There were some technical glitches too as the cameras wrongly detected a valid vehicle as an overage vehicle. At a petrol pump on Pusa Road, a Hyundai I-10 petrol car came and the speaker started announcing that it was an overage vehicle. "However, when the registration certificate of the vehicle was checked, it was found to be valid up to March 29, 2028. The police officials at the station were informed and after checking the documents, the car was allowed to go," said a petrol pump attendant. At the BPCL Vaibhav filling station in west Delhi's Vikas Puri, an overage vehicle came for filling petrol but ended up getting CNG after being informed about the fuel ban. "We have clearly displayed banners stating that overage vehicles will not be refuelled. However, around 4.30 am today, one such car arrived. While we refused to provide petrol, the driver went ahead and filled CNG instead," Vaibhav, owner of the fuel pump, said. According to officials, overage vehicles running on CNG are exempt from action. A 2018 Supreme Court judgment had banned diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years in Delhi. A 2014 National Green Tribunal order also prohibits the parking of vehicles aged over 15 years in public places.
