Registration Of CNG Vehicles Can't Be Rejected As Emission Is Within Limits: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday reiterated that the registration of CNG vehicles cannot be rejected as the emission from such vehicles is within the limits.

A three-judge Bench of Justice Nageswara Rao, Justice BR Gavai and Justice BV Nagarathna was hearing a batch of applications filed in the case of MC Mehta vs Union of India, seeking the registration of including CNG vehicles, some BS-IV and BS-VI compliant vehicles etc.

The applications filed for registration of CNG vehicles were for those vehicles which are not being registered by the transport authorities as an interpretation of the Supreme Court's orders.

The Bench stated that its order dated 18.09.2020 makes it clear that in so far as CNG vehicles are concerned, registration cannot be rejected as the emission from such vehicles is within the limits.

"In spite of the Order dated 18.09.2020, in which the direction was given in clear terms, the transport authorities have unnecessarily driven these applicants to approach this Court." the Bench remarked.

Observing the same, the Bench directed the concerned transport authorities to register the CNG vehicles.

"The order dated 18.09.2020 passed by this Court makes it  clear that in so far as CNG vehicles are concerned, registration cannot be rejected as the emission from such vehicles is within the limits. In spite of the Order dated 18.09.2020, in which the direction was given in clear terms, the transport authorities have unnecessarily driven these applicants to approach this Court.  The concerned transport authorities are directed to register the CNG vehicles".

Through its order dated 18th September 2020, a Bench led by the then CJI SA Bobde had clarified that insofar as CNG vehicles are concerned, there cannot be any valid rejection to the vehicles, as the emission from these vehicles is within the limits.

The Supreme Court had banned the registration of BS-IV vehicles in Delhi-NCR after April 1, 2020.

Citation : LL 2021 SC 699

Click here to read/download the order