BS-VI checks: ‘Caught off guard, we didn’t know,’ say delivery drivers & many commuters

On the first day of Delhi’s BS-VI emission ban, festival deliveries, anniversaries, and breakfasts were all halted at border police checkpoints, causing widespread inconvenience. Amit, an 18-year-old driver, left his office in Gurgaon carrying household goods for two drop-offs in Noida, but was stopped multiple times and fined Rs 10,000, stranded at the DND Flyway after four attempts.

He expressed confusion about the new rules, which came into effect as a preventive measure ahead of the winter pollution season, despite the third stage of the government’s pollution action plan, GRAP 3, not being in force. Many drivers were unaware of the ban, including Tarun, who left Noida for breakfast in Mayur Vihar but was turned back at the Chilla border, as he was driving a BS-IV car.

Similarly, Vishnu, an IT professional, was stopped on his return trip from Gurugram to his farmhouse, expressing frustration that the restriction would affect his weekend plans. For professional drivers, the ban was particularly detrimental, with Hamza, a Porter delivery partner, left stranded without warning, unable to determine how to reach home.

The ban seemed to disproportionately impact festival season deliveries, with drivers questioning how they could earn money during the pollution season when their vehicles were no longer permitted in the city.