Govt to move SC against fuel ban on older vehicles, calls for equal norm

New Delhi: Mounting public pressure and a growing chorus of dissent over Delhi’s stringent age-based vehicle ban have prompted the Delhi government to seek legal recourse and demand parity with national norms. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday said her government will approach the Supreme Court to push for uniform vehicle rules across the country, challenging the current restrictions that disproportionately affect Delhi residents.

“The parameters applicable to the rest of India should apply to Delhi too. We don’t want our people to suffer unfairly,” said Gupta, speaking on the

sidelines of an event. “We will present the pollution control measures already in place before the apex court.”

The move comes amid backlash over the recent enforcement of a controversial rule banning fuel for “end-of-life” vehicles, diesel cars older than 10 years and petrol cars older than 15 years, even if those vehicles are roadworthy and compliant with emissions norms elsewhere.

Chief Minister Gupta emphasised that the current rules are creating unnecessary hardship for the public and called for uniform vehicle norms across the country. “We want Delhiites not to face any inconvenience. The rules that apply in other states should also apply here,” she said.

Additionally, Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena also wrote to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta urging a pause on the enforcement. He echoed public sentiments, arguing that a blanket ban punishes the middle class unfairly, especially those who have invested their savings in vehicles that remain roadworthy in neighbouring states.

“It is inherently inequitable to subject Delhi residents to such punitive measures while the same vehicles continue to ply in adjacent states without issue,” Saxena said in his letter.

Saxena further warned that such abrupt enforcement has triggered panic sales, with owners of high-end vehicles being forced to sell them at junk prices, even when they are compliant with emissions norms and have low mileage.

Emotional costs, policy gaps

Public argue that the policy fails to consider emotional and financial investments made by vehicle owners. Delhiite Amjad, whose diesel-powered sedan was sidelined under the ban despite meeting all emission norms, is among many left frustrated.

“My car is parked in the garage, and I have been taking cabs to go somewhere. Imagine,” he says. “The car is in good running condition. I have an up-to-date Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate for it. When I bought the car in 2015, I also paid a one-time road tax for 15 years. Despite adhering to all norms, I can’t run my car in NCR. The system is forcing me to purchase a new car without getting any meaningful price for my old vehicle.”

Alok Kumar, a retired schoolteacher from South Delhi, shared similar frustration. “I use my car once or twice a week, mostly for short distances. It’s well maintained and emits less smoke than some of the new autos I see on the road. But just because it’s 11 years old, I’m being told to scrap it. That’s not justice.”

For daily commuter Neha Arora, the ban spells unnecessary expense. “I can’t afford a new car right now. My old petrol vehicle works perfectly. If I move just 10 kilometers in Noida, I can drive it. But not here in Delhi, it makes no sense.”

Fuel ban temporarily paused amid technological hurdles

However, the sheer scale of implementation, including deploying 59 exclusive teams and integrating camera-based vehicle recognition, raised serious feasibility concerns. Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, in a letter to CAQM chairman Rajesh Verma, called the enforcement “technologically challenging and impractical” and requested an immediate suspension of the rule. The CAQM has since paused the fuel ban, pending a more workable strategy.

What the rule says

The rule, originally based on a 2018 Supreme Court order and a 2014 directive from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), prohibits the plying and even parking of diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years within Delhi. As part of the latest enforcement strategy, these overage vehicles were to be denied fuel at petrol pumps starting July 1, 2025. Petrol pumps were equipped with Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to flag non-compliant vehicles. One traffic police officer was to be stationed at each of the 350 fuel stations across the city, supported by MCD teams, Transport Department personnel, and local police.

Additionally, pumps were instructed to maintain a manual or digital log of denied transactions and display prominent signage about the fuel ban. Violations were to be reported weekly to CAQM and the Ministry of Petroleum, with penalties imposed under the Motor Vehicles Act. While the ban is currently on hold, the Delhi government has promised to prepare a comprehensive pollution control roadmap that balances environmental needs with citizens’ rights, to be submitted within three months. Until then, the fate of thousands of overage but roadworthy vehicles remains uncertain.