Delhi Bans Fuel for End-of-Life Vehicles Starting July 1 to Tackle Pollution

In a major crackdown on vehicular pollution, petrol pumps across Delhi will no longer dispense fuel to end-of-life (EoL) vehicles starting Tuesday, July 1, as per directives issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). The move will be enforced jointly by the Delhi Transport Department, Delhi Police, Traffic Police, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

What the Fuel Ban Means

The ban applies to:

• Diesel vehicles older than 10 years

• Petrol/CNG vehicles older than 15 years

Enforcement Plan

• One traffic officer will be deployed at each of the 350 identified fuel stations across the city to ensure compliance.

• MCD teams, along with Delhi Police and Transport Department officials, will be present at various locations.

  • Delhi Police will cover fuel pumps numbered 1 to 100

  • The Transport Department will deploy 59 teams across pumps numbered 101 to 159

• Two police personnel will be stationed at each pump to maintain law and order.

Traffic personnel have the authority to impound violators’ vehicles or issue challans under applicable provisions.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

On June 17, the Delhi government released SOPs for fuel stations:

• Maintain a log (manual or digital) of all denied fuel transactions involving EoL vehicles

• Display clear signage:

  “Fuel will not be dispensed to End of Life Vehicles — i.e. 15 years old Petrol and CNG and 10 years old Diesel — 01.07.2025.”

• Train staff to identify non-compliant vehicles and follow CAQM protocols.

Tech-Enabled Monitoring

• Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras will be installed at fuel stations to detect and log vehicle details in real-time.

• The Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation (DTIDC) will oversee the functionality of the ANPR system.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

Fuel stations violating the directive will be reported weekly to CAQM and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, with potential penalties under Section 192 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

Legal Background

• The Supreme Court in 2018 banned diesel vehicles over 10 years and petrol vehicles over 15 years in Delhi.

• A 2014 NGT order prohibits parking vehicles older than 15 years in public spaces.

This fuel ban is part of a broader effort to improve Delhi’s air quality by phasing out aging, polluting vehicles from city roads.