In a bold move to combat pollution, the government is set to launch an unprecedented solution: a complete fuel ban on end-of-life vehicles (ELVs). The initiative, the first-of-its-kind in the country, aims to curb the emissions from vehicles that are believed to be the most polluting.
Backed by cutting-edge technology, including Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, the new system will automatically detect and block fuel access for these vehicles at petrol pumps, preventing them from refuelling at petrol stations, effectively taking them off city roads.
But with just one day left before the highly anticipated rollout, all is not smooth sailing. A visit at over a dozen petrol stations revealed a troubling lack of preparation.
There’s confusion among petrol pump staff, many of whom are still unaware of how the new system works, and missing standard operating procedures (SOPs). Adding to the chaos is an absence of coordination between the gas stations and the implementing agencies responsible for enforcing the order, which raises concerns about how effectively the ambitious plan will take off.
As the countdown begins, the question remains: can this unprecedented solution deliver on its promise or will it stumble at the starting line?
What’s behind fuel ban system
Despite previous attempts at curbing pollution through odd-even schemes, BS-VI fuel adoption, and EV incentives, older internal combustion engine vehicles remain a major hurdle. Majority of the ELVs are operating on below BS VI emission standards or even lower to BS III and BS II.
Vehicles particularly those operating below BS-VI emission standards, have significantly higher emission potential. BS IV vehicles have 5.5 times higher PM emissions than the BS VI vehicles. The new rule, announced by the Delhi Transport
Department under directives from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), defines end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) as those diesel vehicles that are more than 10 years old and petrol vehicles older than 15 years.
The policy draws on a 2015 order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) banning such overaged vehicles from the capital’s roads, which was later upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. The difference now lies in its implementation: a real-time, tech-based enforcement system.
Under the policy, fuel stations across the city will be equipped with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras linked to the central Vahan database. As a vehicle enters a station, its registration plate is scanned, and the system instantly verifies its age, fuel type, and registration status A pre-recorded audio alert would trigger, announcing that the vehicle is not eligible for refuelling.
“This message is intended for both the pump staff and the vehicle owner. The pump attendant, upon hearing the alert, is required to deny fuel to the vehicle,” Virinder Sharma, Member (Technical) CAQM said.
If fuel station staff fail to comply, they risk facing regulatory action. On the other hand, vehicle owners whose ELVs are caught attempting to refuel will face steep penalties. For four-wheelers, the fine is Rs 10,000 and for two-wheelers, it is Rs 5,000.
After the system identifies it as an ELV, the alert is forwarded to enforcement teams on standby.
These teams, drawn from the traffic police, the transport department’s enforcement wing, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), will have the power to impound the vehicle on the spot and tow it to an authorised scrapping yard. Over 200 joint enforcement teams will be deployed across the city to cover major fuel stations and traffic corridors.
The policy is applicable not just to vehicles registered in Delhi but to any ELV entering the city from other parts of the country. Delhi alone has 62 lakh end-of-life vehicles, including 41 lakh two- wheelers. The total number of ELVs in the entire NCR is around 44 lakh, with most located in the five high-density districts.
The Transport Department will also deploy teams at fuel stations where maximum visits of such ELVs are observed and take action against any violating fuel stations.
It has to submit a list of violating fuel stations to the CAQM and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas every week. The policy is also part of a larger regional plan.
Starting November 1 this year, the ban will be extended to the neighbouring NCR cities of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar, and Sonipat.
By April 2026, the policy will be in force across the entire national capital region, depending on the readiness of ANPR infrastructure in those areas, according to the officials. According to CAQM, the objective is not just to enforce a ban but to create a system that automatically disincentivises the use of old vehicles. Officials say this is critical in a city like Delhi, where vehicular emissions contribute significantly to PM2.5 levels.
No trial run, staff unprepared
While the system has been installed at most petrol pump stations, managers and staff remain largely in the dark about how it is supposed to function. Despite the initiative being announced months ago, several fuel dealers say they received official instructions only a couple of days back—just after the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) held a press conference to brief the media about the rollout.
“Two days ago, the pollution control agency sent us documents explaining the implementation process. We have briefed our staff, but without hands-on training, we still don’t know how the system will actually work,” said the manager of a petrol pump at Delhi Gate.
Most petrol pump operators still have only a vague understanding of how the new system will function, pointing to a glaring lack of on-ground awareness and training efforts by the authorities.
At one pump in Pushp Vihar, the station manager, although aware of the mechanism for detecting overaged vehicles, was convinced that the policy will commence from November 1 instead of July 1.
“I have been told that a camera will automatically detect overaged vehicles and it will be announced on the speaker. However, I have not yet seen this system work as we have not been shown a trial,” he said.
At the same time, the fueling staff at the pump had never heard of the policy and were unaware of the ANPR camera and speakers that had been placed at the pump.
At another pump in South Delhi the staff knew about the policy but said no special camera has been placed at the pump. “Government authorities will be implementing this policy. There’s nothing we can do. How will we manually check if the vehicle is old?” asked one worker.
According to the standard operating procedure (SOPs) for fuel stations, there has to be a mandatory display of signage on denying fuel to ELVs. Staff should be trained in implementing the drive. Station operators also need to maintain logs, either manual or digital, of such fuel denial instances and report them to the Transport Department weekly. However, the spot check revealed that staff members at petrol pumps were completely ill-informed.
“We have been informed about the system, but no awareness program was conducted. The system may be automatic, but it involves multiple components. The government should have carried out an awareness drive with us first to ensure smoother implementation,” said a petrol pump manager in the Moolchand area. The Delhi Petrol Dealers Association (DPDA) raised concerns over the lack of a trial run to test the system’s functionality, including the performance of ANPR cameras and audio alerts.
“We have no idea how things will work out—whether the camera even functions properly, if the speaker is loud enough for staff to hear, or how effective the entire process will be,” said Nischal Singhania, president of the DPDA. Soon after the announcement of the fuel ban, the ANPR system started facing technical glitches that raised concerns among petrol pump operators. The petrol pump dealers complained that the system was generating erroneous data, incorrectly flagging vehicles as end-of-life despite valid registration periods.
This newspaper carried a story revealing the situation.
The dealers across the city had reported frequent issues with the system, particularly involving CNG-run autorickshaws. “We had briefly tested the technology where speakers attached to the ANPR cameras flagged vehicles are older than 15 years. When verified with the registration papers of those vehicles, we got to know that those vehicles had a life of several years. The issue was specifically with the CNG-run autorickshaws,” said Bibek Banerjee, owner of a petrol pump near Ansal Plaza.
After these issues came to light, the system reportedly stopped functioning altogether, Singhania added.
“That’s why a proper trial run was necessary—not just to train the staff, but to ensure the system actually works on the ground,” he said.
Although around 200 teams have been deployed for implementation, petrol dealers remain skeptical about how effective they will be in managing operations across the city. “There are 400 pumps where the new rule is set to be enforced. But there’s no clarity on whether these teams will be available round the clock, especially since many of us operate 24x7,” said the owner of a petrol pump on
Mathura Road. Doubts about implementation were also echoed by the staff at a pump near Mehrauli. “How can we deny fuel to customers? This will surely cause chaos and may also lead to violence. What will we do if they grab our collars?”
Security concerns & penalties
For strict enforcement of the ban on refuelling overaged vehicles, the Transport Department has enforced a provision allowing the arrest of petrol pump owners if an end-of-life vehicle is found being refuelled at their station. The move has drawn strong objections from petrol pump dealers who called it “unacceptable.”
“We are strictly against this order of arrest. We have supported the government in this initiative but the provision of arrest is simply unacceptable. It’s like a sword hanging on our head. We cannot operate in such a threatening situation,” said a petrol pump owner from South Delhi.
The dealers pointed out that they are bound by the law to refuel any vehicle that comes to petrol pumps and demanded clarity from the government on the subject.
“Refusing the fuel to a vehicle owner can attract provisions of the Essential Commodities Act unless an order is passed on the contrary by the Food and Civil Supplies department. I believe the government should clarify more on the provision of arrest and non-compliance of the Essential Commodities Act to rule out legal ambiguity on implementation of the fuel ban,” said Banerjee.
Meanwhile, the dealers are also wary of the confrontations that may ensue after they refuse fuel to overaged vehicles. “It creates a legal contradiction that will put dealers in an impossible position. Our pump attendants are not equipped to act as enforcement officers. Over the years, consumers have resisted fuel attendants performing such roles. Recent incidents, including a reported shooting of a pump attendant in Ghaziabad for enforcing the ‘no helmet, no fuel’ policy, highlight the potential for law-and-order issues. The provision for penal actions, including the arrest of dealers or pump attendants for non-compliance, is neither practical nor acceptable. Such measures would disrupt essential services and make the scheme unworkable,” Nischal Singhania, president of the DPDA.
DPDA has requested deployment of police or civil defence personnel at fuel stations to enforce the directive safely.
Policy faces public skepticism
While the fuel ban rule has been hailed as a much-needed step toward improving the city’s air quality, the public response has been mixed. Owners of well-maintained older vehicles argue that the policy is indiscriminate. Many say their cars have passed fitness checks but are still being treated as polluting simply based on age.
A LocalCircles survey revealed that 44 per cent of the surveyed vehicle owners are against the move, arguing that many of their cars are still in good condition and have clocked low mileage. The survey also revealed that 62 per cent of respondents plan to sell their overage vehicles in other states or to second-hand dealers.
“I have taken care of my 15-year-old Maruti 800 for over two decades. It runs smoothly, passes all fitness tests and doesn’t emit more smoke than many newer vehicles,” says Rajnikant Mehta, a retired government employee and owner of a 15-year-old Maruti 800. “This rule feels like it punishes people like me who can’t afford a new car but have maintained their old one responsibly,” he added.