Delhi government suspends fuel ban on overage vehicles; cites tech hurdles, public backlash

Minister Sirsa says public discontent growing, urges NCR-wide implementation; blames previous AAP regime for stringent norms.

Traffic Police personnel keep a vigil at a petrol pump after fuel ban for end-of-life vehicles  FILE

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has formally urged the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to defer the enforcement of a recent directive banning fuel supply to end-of-life (EOL) vehicles, citing serious technological challenges and growing public discontent.

The request was communicated through a letter sent by Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who reiterated the government’s support for air pollution mitigation but called the fuel ban “premature and potentially counterproductive.”

The ban, mandated under CAQM’s Direction No. 89 dated April 23, came into effect on July 1 and prohibits petrol stations from refuelling vehicles that are 10 years or older for diesel and 15 years or older for petrol, as per existing court orders.

Sirsa, speaking at a press conference on Thursday, said the move has sparked anger among residents. “People are unhappy. The government is with them,” he said, placing the blame for “rigid norms” on the previous AAP regime.

According to Sirsa’s letter, the enforcement via Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems has exposed “crucial operational and infrastructural shortcomings.”

These include malfunctioning sensors and cameras, incomplete integration with databases of neighbouring states, and the system’s inability to detect vehicles with missing or faulty High Security Registration Plates (HSRP).

The minister argued that unless the ban is implemented uniformly across the entire National Capital Region (NCR), it risks pushing vehicle owners to procure fuel from neighbouring districts such as Gurugram or Ghaziabad, potentially creating an underground fuel economy.

Sirsa said the Delhi government is already executing a multi-pronged pollution control strategy, from massive tree plantation drives to stricter Pollution Under Control (PUC) norms and trials of cloud seeding.

The government has asked CAQM to suspend the fuel ban until the ANPR system is fully operational and integrated across the NCR. “We are committed to clean air, but it must be done in a practical and just manner,” Sirsa added.