NEW DELHI: While the city government is going ahead with the recently announced ban on refueling End-of-Life vehicles, petrol pump owners have raised concerns over the implementation, citing a lack of clarity.
The petrol dealers and association pointed out that, under the Food and Civil Supplies Act, fuel stations cannot legally refuse service to any vehicle.
“Refusing fuel to a vehicle owner can attract provisions of the Consumer Protection Act. So, I believe an amendment to existing regulations by the government would be necessary for enforcement. We will support this decision but are waiting for an official notification and further clarity,” said Bibek Banerjee, General Secretary, Delhi Petrol Dealers Association.
Petrol pump owners said they are yet to receive official communication from the government regarding the implementation of the ban.
“So far, there has been no official dialogue between fuel station owners and the government regarding this ban. We have no clarity on how we are supposed to identify overaged vehicles at the pump. If there is a mechanism in place, we need to understand how it functions and whether our staff will require special training to enforce it. Right now, there is a lot of ambiguity,” a petrol pump owner said.
While the government has planned to roll out an AI-based automated system—Automated End-of-Life Vehicle Detection System—to enforce this rule, they noted that the government has not provided any communication or guidance on installing infrastructure to detect overaged vehicles at fuel stations.
As per the officials, the system will use existing cameras, originally installed for Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate verification, and upgrade them with AI-powered detection technology to flag ineligible vehicles.
“Cameras are already installed at petrol stations, primarily for Pollution Under Control (PUC) verification, but they lack speakers or monitors for real-time detection of vehicles. The government needs to clarify whether this AI-based system will rely on our existing infrastructure or if they will provide the necessary equipment,” said another fuel station owner.
Meanwhile, the dealers also slammed the move, calling it a “knee-jerk reaction.”
“A lot of pollution depends on how well you maintain and drive the car. The government has taken the easy way out for filtering out polluting vehicles, by choosing the age of the vehicle as the criterion. The annual renewal of the Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate is also rendered meaningless with this,” a petrol pump owner said.
