The Delhi government has announced that people in the capital city can drive their diesel cars older than 10 years on roads but only after an environmental friendly modification.

The state government is now allowing people to use diesel cars older than 10 years only if they have been retrofitted with electric kits. The news comes as a big relief for several diesel car owners in the state who usually sell their old cars in scrap or replace them for availing of exchange offers while buying a new four-wheeler.

Making the announcement, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, on Thursday (November 19), had said that diesel vehicles fitted with an electric kit can continue to ply on the roads of Delhi beyond 10 years.

“Delhi is now open to ICE to electric retrofitting! Vehicles if found fit can convert their diesel to electric engine, dept’ll empanel manufacturers of pure electric kit by approved testing agencies. Once empanelled this’ll enable vehicles to continue plying here beyond 10 yrs,” Gahlot said on Twitter.

As per the current laws, diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years are not allowed to run in the National Capital Region. The order was issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2015 and in 2018 by the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, Delhi is witnessing is a surge in the sales of electric vehicles. In recent months, the sales of electric vehicles have topped the numbers for CNG and hybrid-fuel vehicles in the city.

In the period of July to September, electric vehicles accounted for seven per cent of the total number of vehicles registered with the Delhi government’s transport department, while CNG vehicles accounted for six per cent, according to official figures.