Delhi government suspends fuel ban on overage vehicles, cites technical hurdle

Days after a fuel ban on end-of-life vehicles came into effect in Delhi, the state government has written to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), requesting that the ban be put on hold with immediate effect.

The ban was mandated by CAQM's Direction No. 89 on April 23 to check vehicular pollution in the capital and came into effect on July 1.

Addressing a press conference, Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Thursday, 3 July, that fuel ban on overage vehicles is not feasible due to technological challenges and there was discontent among people. The government, he said, stood with them.

Sirsa said the Delhi government is trying to find a solution to the ban on end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) which include 10-year and older diesel and 15-year-old petrol vehicles.

"We are trying to ensure that the vehicles are not banned according to their age but on the basis of pollution caused by them," Sirsa said.

The minister said, "We have told CAQM that we are not able to implement this." He said the state has also suggested that the fuel ban on overage vehicles be implemented across the National Capital Region (NCR).

Since July 1, the transport department and traffic police have been impounding ELVs stopping at fuel pumps.

Many Delhi residents have criticised the policy as "arbitrary and unfair", particularly for those with well-maintained vehicles that still meet pollution standards. Social media reactions describe the ban as elitist and disconnected from the financial realities of middle-class families, reported Business Standard.

The report, quoting a survey conducted by LocalCircles, said eight out of ten vehicle owners are against the fuel ban on old vehicles. The new policy affects approximately 6.2 million ELVs in the city sparking widespread public discontent.

Sirsa feared that the ban could prove counterproductive. "Because of the technological inconsistencies of this extremely complex system and lack of integration with neighbouring states, there is public discontent and outcry," he said.

The minister said though automated number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras have been installed at most of the fuel stations, but the system is facing technological glitches, camera placement, sensor and speaker malfunction, which prevent identification of the overage vehicles without high security registration plates.

Moreover, the system is also not yet fully integrated with the databases of neighbouring NCR states, Sirsa said.

The minister said the ban in Delhi will not serve its purpose as owners of overage vehicles may get fuel from NCR cities like Gurugram, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad, where there's no such imposition.

Listing several steps taken by the Delhi government to combat air pollution, including implementation of a new pollution under control (PUC) certificate regime to ensure stricter compliance, the minister said, "We strongly urge the Commission to put the implementation of its direction on hold with immediate effect till the ANPR system is seamlessly integrated across the entire NCR." he said.

Sirsa also blamed the previous AAP government in Delhi for enforcing the overage vehicle ban instead of challenging it before the court and the National Green Tribunal.

Meanwhile, residents continue to raise concerns and also point out at this selective crackdown. Ex-IAF pilot Sanjeev Kapoor said the selective crackdown on personal vehicles was difficult to understand while older modes of transport continue to operate unchecked.

"We are still flying aircraft that are over 40 years old and many of our trains, buses, boats, ferries, and commercial planes in daily use are more than three decades old," he wrote on X. “So why are restrictions being imposed only on personal vehicles?”