Car impounded in Delhi? You may not have to pay charges to recover it

Delhi government has announced a waiver of custody charges on vehicles impounded by the traffic police and transport department, which have not been bailed out by their owners. The relaxation will be effective till September 30 this year. It comes as relief for the owners whose vehicles may have been impounded and are still awaiting to be recovered.

Delhi government has said that this decision has been taken in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic. "As per an advisory issued by the government of India on June 17, parking/custody charges imposed under Rule 16 of Delhi Maintenance and Management of Parking Rules 2019 are waived off," the order reads.

This is not the first time the Delhi government has ordered such a relaxation. Last year too, it ordered a similar relaxation for vehicle owners who were affected by Covid restrictions.

Vehicles impounded in Delhi by any government agency for violating rules are slapped with custody charges if their owners don't get the vehicles released within 48 hours. Custody charges can range between ₹200 and ₹1,500 per day, depending on the type of vehicle. Delhi transport department keeps hundreds of impounded vehicles at locations such as Burari, Dwarka and Sarai Kale Khan.

This also comes in line with the June order of the union ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH), which suggested an extension of validity for various motor vehicle documents till September 30. These included documents such as driving license, fitness test certificate, vehicle registration certificate etc. Many vehicle owners couldn't renew these documents due to lockdown and other Covid-related restrictions. MoRTH proposed the extension to give them relief.

Delhi transport officials told news agency PTI that many vehicle owners couldn't get their impounded vehicles recovered due to the pandemic related restrictions. This resulted in accumulated custody charges. PTI also reports that one vehicle has accumulated a custody charge of ₹2 lakh.

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