In a stringent move to combat rising pollution levels, the entry of 192 old diesel buses belonging to the Uttarakhand Transport Corporation (UTC) has been banned in Delhi, effective from Wednesday. The banned vehicles fall under the BS-3 and BS-4 categories, which no longer meet the capital's strict emission norms.

Warnings Ignored

The ban comes after years of non-compliance. According to officials, the Delhi government had been cautioning the Uttarakhand Transport Corporation for the past four years regarding the impending restrictions. Warning letters had been issued to state transport corporations since 2021, alerting them that BS-3 and BS-4 diesel buses would be barred from October 1.

Despite a fresh warning sent in August, the UTC reportedly failed to upgrade its fleet in time. Although a temporary, conditional exemption was granted recently following a request from the Uttarakhand government due to the festive season, the exemption was revoked on Wednesday as pollution levels in the national capital spiked to dangerous highs.

Operational Impact

The sudden enforcement has severely disrupted inter-state travel.

Buses Halted: Operations of the older buses were stopped on Wednesday morning. These vehicles are now terminating their journeys at Mohannagar, on the Uttar Pradesh border, instead of reaching the Kashmiri Gate ISBT.

Fines Imposed: Buses attempting to enter the ISBT in violation of the order were fined by authorities.

Fleet Reduction: Out of the 540 buses that usually operate on the Delhi route daily, only 348 are now permitted to enter the city.

Current Fleet Status

The UTC is now left scrambling to manage the route with a limited compliant fleet. Currently, the corporation possesses only:

  • 130 BS-6 diesel buses
  • 300 contracted CNG buses

However, a logistical challenge remains as these compliant buses are also deployed on the state's mountainous terrain and other routes, stretching resources thin.

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Official Response And Passenger Impact

Following the ban, Kranti Singh, General Manager (Operations) of the Transport Corporation, has instructed all depot managers to exclusively dispatch contracted CNG and new BS-6 buses to Delhi's Kashmiri Gate ISBT.

The disruption is expected to inconvenience a significant number of travelers. Approximately 40,000 to 50,000 passengers commute daily between Uttarakhand and Delhi, many of whom now face uncertainty and logistical hurdles at the border.

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