In a major relief to car owners in both Delhi and the National Capital Region – which includes parts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan – the Supreme Court on Tuesday stated no “coercive” action should be taken for 4 weeks against owners of diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles over 15 years old.
The apex court passed the order in response to an application filed by the Delhi government, which challenged the ban on these ‘end-of-life’ vehicles in Delhi-NCR to combat air pollution. The bench, led by Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and N V Anjaria, issued a notice to the central government and the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
Fuel sale ban on ‘overage’ vehicles reversed earlier
The Delhi government had rolled back the July 1 ban on fuel sales to overage petrol and diesel vehicles just days after it began. The idea was to use AI-powered automatic number plate reader (ANPR) cameras, automated hooters, and enforcement teams to spot end-of-life vehicles. Owners caught refuelling, then, would have their vehicles impounded on the spot.
While the authorities cited operational and technical difficulties, the decision was met with massive public backlash. As of now, the pause remains till November 1, 2025, during which these challenges will be tackled and more ANPR systems will be installed.
Major victory: Delhi Environment Minister
“Lakhs of end-of-life vehicles have been scrapped and confiscated in Delhi…This decision by the Supreme Court is a major victory for all those whose vehicles are still in good condition and roadworthy,” said Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who has been instrumental in raising the concern to the court.
“There are many vehicles that have aged, but because they haven’t been used much, their pollution levels are lower. There are so many new vehicles whose age is less but have been used a lot; so we believe that the parameter to determine pollution levels must be the use of the vehicle instead of its age,” Sirsa had told ANI earlier.
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