NEW DELHI: Citing enforcement gaps and rising concerns over cross-border fuel misuse, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has deferred its directive to deny fuel to end-of-life (EoL) vehicles in Delhi. Originally scheduled to take effect on July 1, the restriction will now come into force on November 1, 2025.
The decision was made at the 24th meeting of the full commission on Tuesday, following detailed deliberations with officials from the Delhi government and NCR states. The key reasons cited were addressing technological shortcomings in the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system and enabling simultaneous implementation in Delhi and five high-vehicle-density districts in the NCR—Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Gautam Buddha Nagar, and Sonipat.
In a written communication dated July 3, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa flagged operational issues, including faulty camera placement, malfunctioning sensors, and lack of integration with neighbouring states’ databases. He also warned that the stage-wise rollout could foster an illegal cross-border fuel economy, as owners of banned vehicles were bypassing the system by refuelling in NCR border areas.
Backing the minister’s concerns, the Delhi chief secretary, in a letter to the CAQM, questioned the legal and constitutional fairness of enforcing geographically restricted EoL thresholds. He argued that defining EoL solely based on age without considering vehicle fitness or emissions performance was contrary to the spirit of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and would disproportionately impact middle-class owners.
According to the original plan, Delhi was to be the first to deny fuel to old vehicles—diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years—using ANPR camera technology at fuel stations. The restriction was then to be extended to the high-vehicle-density districts of Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Gautam Buddha Nagar, and Sonipat by November 1, 2025, and to the rest of the NCR from April 1, 2026.
However, other enforcement measures, including the impounding of banned vehicles, will continue to be implemented.
“Strict action must be taken against such vehicles irrespective of whether they are identified via ANPR systems, manual checks, or any other method,” the CAQM noted.