Regulate Movement of Heavy Vehicles in Delhi: Supreme Court Tells BJP Govt

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Delhi government to take steps for regulating the movement of heavy vehicles in the national capital.

A bench consisting of Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh issued the direction while disposing an appeal against a 2006 Delhi High Court order, which had imposed a 24-hour ban on trucks operating within the Outer Ring Road for the purpose of loading and unloading goods.

"The SLP (Special Leave Petition) is disposed of. However, this does not mean that the NCT of Delhi will not take necessary measures for regulating the movement of heavy vehicles in the city. In this regard, if no regulatory measures have been taken so far, the state government will take appropriate decisions…," the bench said.

The Supreme Court observed that it had stayed the 2006 Delhi High Court order, which imposed a ban on truck entry, following a petition from the Delhi Goods Transporters' Association.

The association argued before the apex court that the ban had caused a halt in trade activities within the city.

The Supreme Court pointed out that the challenge was against an interlocutory order of the high court, while the main petition was resolved by the Delhi High Court in 2009.

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“There is no reason to keep this plea pending, given that the main petition has already been disposed of by the high court,” the Supreme Court remarked to the counsel representing the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

In March and April 2006, the high court had ruled that trucks would be barred from entering the national capital's Outer Ring Road, Sadar Bazar, and Qutub Road. The court also imposed restrictions on trucks entering the wholesale markets of Delhi, banning loading and unloading in areas near these congested localities.

The high court had ordered that the MCD seal any premises found violating these orders.

In May 2006, the Supreme Court stayed the high court's order and directed the environment pollution control authority to assess the concerns of the transporters and propose guidelines.