Haryana is preparing to tighten enforcement against old vehicles in its National Capital Region districts, with a new camera-based system set to identify vehicles that have crossed the prescribed age limit.
From October 1, end-of-life vehicles registered in Haryana are expected to be denied fuel at petrol pumps in four NCR districts. The system will use Automated Number Plate Recognition cameras to identify vehicles based on their registration details.
Which Old Vehicles Will Be Affected?
Under the applicable NCR rules, diesel vehicles that are more than 10 years old and petrol vehicles that are more than 15 years old fall under the end-of-life vehicle category.
The restrictions will initially affect Haryana’s NCR districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat and Jhajjar.
This means owners of eligible old diesel and petrol vehicles will not simply be able to rely on avoiding manual checks. Their registration numbers can be identified automatically when they arrive at participating fuel stations.
775 Cameras To Be Installed
The Haryana government has approved the installation of 775 ANPR cameras in the first phase of the programme.
Gurugram will receive 249 cameras, followed by Sonipat with 215, Jhajjar with 195 and Faridabad with 116.
The first phase has an estimated cost of Rs 41.74 crore. Haryana has indicated that around 2,780 ANPR cameras may eventually be required across the state.
How Will The Camera System Work?
The cameras will capture vehicle registration numbers at fuel stations and connect the information with the VAHAN database.
The system will then check whether the vehicle qualifies as an end-of-life vehicle under the applicable rules.
Officials have also said the system will be connected to Command and Control Centres for real-time monitoring. If an old vehicle is identified, the system can alert fuel station operators.
Vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate can also be identified through the system.
No Fuel, Challan And Possible Impounding
The new system is not limited to simply refusing fuel.
Depending on the circumstances, authorities can take further enforcement action, including issuing challans and impounding vehicles.
This means owners of vehicles that fall under the end-of-life category could face increasing difficulty in continuing to operate them on NCR roads.
Why Is Haryana Introducing The System?
The move is part of the wider effort to control vehicular emissions and improve air quality across the NCR.
Haryana’s four affected districts are among the major urban centres in the region, where vehicle pollution is an important concern during periods of deteriorating air quality.
The camera-based system is intended to make enforcement more systematic rather than depending entirely on manual inspections by transport officials.
What Can Owners Of Old Vehicles Do?
Owners whose vehicles are approaching or have crossed the prescribed age limit may need to consider alternatives such as replacing the vehicle, shifting to a permitted cleaner-fuel vehicle or exploring applicable scrappage and replacement incentives.
However, vehicle owners should check the rules applicable to their particular registration, fuel type and location before taking a decision.
The rollout also demonstrates how number-plate recognition technology is increasingly being used for automated enforcement. Instead of waiting for an ageing vehicle to be stopped on the road, authorities can identify it through its registration number when it enters a fuel station.
Summary
Haryana is preparing to deploy 775 ANPR cameras at petrol pumps across Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat and Jhajjar to identify end-of-life vehicles. Diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles over 15 years old will face restrictions on fuel. The system will connect vehicle number plates with VAHAN records and can trigger further enforcement.