Delhi Defers Fuel Ban on Overage Vehicles to November 1

The Centre’s air quality panel has decided to postpone the enforcement of a fuel ban on end-of-life (EOL) vehicles in Delhi until November 1, sources said on Tuesday. The delay comes after concerns raised by the Delhi government over implementation challenges.

EOL vehicles include diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years. According to earlier directions, such vehicles were to be denied fuel at Delhi pumps starting July 1, regardless of their state of registration.

However, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa recently urged the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to defer the ban, calling it “premature and potentially counterproductive” due to ongoing infrastructural and logistical hurdles.

Following a review meeting, the CAQM agreed to defer the move. The implementation will now begin from November 1, in a coordinated rollout across Delhi and five neighboring high-vehicle-density districts: Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, and Sonipat.

Fuel stations in Delhi have already installed Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to detect overage vehicles. These cameras scan license plates and cross-check details — including vehicle age and fuel type — with the VAHAN database. If a vehicle is flagged as EOL, staff are alerted to deny refueling, and enforcement agencies are notified to take further action such as impounding or scrapping.

The decision to delay was reportedly influenced by public opposition and concerns over readiness in enforcement infrastructure. ANPR installation in the five adjoining districts is expected to be completed by October 31, ahead of the new rollout date.