NEW DELHI: The second day of Delhi’s fuel ban policy exposed a lack of clarity regarding its implementation, particularly when it came to vehicles registered in other states. Two overaged SUVs from Maharashtra, although legally allowed to operate in their home state, caused confusion when they attempted to refuel at a petrol station in Greater Kailash on Wednesday.
According to the petrol station owner, the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system flagged both vehicles, triggering an alert.
“There was an argument between our staff and the vehicle owners. But since we are bound by the new law, we couldn’t refuel those vehicles,” the station owner said. A joint enforcement team of transport and traffic authorities arrived to seize one of the vehicles.
However, no action was taken due to confusion over the vehicle’s eligibility. “The vehicle was diesel-run and 12 years old. But in Mumbai, diesel vehicles can operate until they are 15 years old, so it was a tricky situation. Eventually, it was let go due to lack of clear direction on how to handle vehicles registered from other states,” said an official. Under the new rules in Delhi-NCR, diesel vehicles older than 10 years are banned from operating on roads.
However, the lack of uniform guidelines for vehicles registered outside Delhi left authorities uncertain about how to handle them. Besides, the petrol dealers reported a further decline in sales, especially at border petrol stations.
“The sales impact was more pronounced at border petrol stations, where there was up to a 20% drop in fuel sales. People are hesitant to come for refuelling, fearing confiscation or fines, especially as many lack necessary certifications like Pollution Under Control (PUC),” said Nishchal Singhania, President of the Delhi Petrol Dealers Association (DPDA). The opposition also voiced concerns over the fuel ban. Former Delhi Chief Minister and opposition leader Atishi criticised the policy, calling it arbitrary and unfair to ordinary residents of the city. “The BJP-led Delhi government has issued a ‘Tughlaqi farman’ stating that any 10-year-old vehicle will not be allowed fuel and cannot operate on roads,” Atishi said.
“The common people of Delhi use two-wheelers to commute to offices. What will they do now? Many senior citizens also rely on second-hand two-wheelers for local use. Should they walk to the markets now? This order is baseless because the age of a vehicle has nothing to do with the pollution it causes,” she added. On the first day of the fuel ban, only 80 overaged vehicles were impounded. By 6 pm on day 2, that number had risen to 145, officials said.