ELV fuel ban off to stringent start

A game of cat-and-mouse enveloped Delhi's fuel stations on Day 1 of the ban on fuel sales to end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), as bikers unaware of the ban tried to flee when the automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras red-flagged their vehicles and police chased after them to impound their vehicles.

- Hemani Bhandari, Jignasa Sinha and Aheli Das

NEW DELHI:

The move comes on a CAQM directive dated April 23, seeking to curb the operation of ELVs to curb pollution, in line with orders issued by the National Green Tribunal and the Supreme Court.

Staffers at an Indian Oil fuel station in Lajpat Nagar, near the PGDAV College, said three ELVs visited their station by Tuesday afternoon, but two of them fled when their vehicles were flagged.

Ravi Anand, an attendant at the station, said, "One ELV petrol vehicle was towed away for scrapping when it was identified. Two more fled when they were recognised, and they realised their vehicles would be towed away. Police are patrolling the area, and cameras have been installed at the petrol pump."