Fuel ban on overage vehicles in national Capital draws mixed reactions from Delhiites
While many have welcomed the move as a necessary step to curb pollution, others have questioned its logic and uniformity.
Authorities have already seized two motorcycles flagged under the new policy and sent them for scrapping as part of the enforcement process.
The crackdown follows alarming data from the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which, in a November 2024 analysis, revealed that vehicular emissions contribute to 51 per cent of Delhi's local pollution -- the highest share among all sources.
Speaking to IANS, Delhiites shared diverse opinions on the initiative.
A local said, "As you know, pollution in Delhi is very high. Considering all these factors, the government's step is very good to remove the overage vehicles."
Another added, "Due to pollution, many people suffer. This decision taken by the government is praiseworthy as it will reduce pollution in Delhi."
Echoing similar sentiments, another resident said, "The government has taken the right decision to curb pollution in Delhi. Those who are still going on using their EoL vehicles should face strict action."
However, some questioned the criteria and consistency of the policy.
One resident pointed out, "A law should be equal for everyone. For some vehicles, the time limit is 15 years, and for some, it is 10. Either do it for 10 years or 15 years for all the vehicles. The government is doing just what it likes to."
"Not much can be achieved through this. The government should either make the time limit 10 years or 15 years. Pollution is the same for all vehicles. We are not with the government in this," another added.
As enforcement teams continue to monitor and act against violators across 498 petrol pumps using Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras and police support, the success of the fuel ban will likely depend on consistent implementation and public cooperation in the days ahead.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
EOL vehicle's age not just a number, it's a bigger debate
New Delhi: The debate among scientists and environment policy experts over what really drives vehicle pollution has heated up in Delhi after the Commission for Air Quality Management's (CAQM) directive of denying fuel and impounding end-of-life vehicles from July 1 onwards. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Petrol vehicles that are over 15 years old and diesel vehicles that are over 10 years old are in the direct line of fire of CAQM's Direction 89. The policy's aim is to reducing emissions, but environmentalists and automotive experts have questioned whether a vehicle's age should be the only parameter for such an action. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which has been part of several scientific studies on pollution in Delhi-NCR, said that it does not recommend phasing out vehicles based on age. Rather, improving fuel and emission standards was what it seeks. Experts at CSE, along with researchers at IIT-Delhi and Delhi Technological University (DTU), advocated for improving the pollution under control (PUC) regime to ensure that vehicles on the road are well-maintained. "In its decades-long campaign on the right to clean air, CSE has never recommended the phase-out of personal vehicles based on age. Instead, we have recommended the improvement of fuel and emission standards for vehicles — from BS-0 in the mid-1990s to BS-6 introduction in 2020," a statement from CSE said. It added that it recommended the use of technology such as remote sensing to monitor emissions and identifying polluters while advocating an improved and stringent PUC regime to ensure that on-road vehicles are better maintained. "We know that vehicles, including personal vehicles, contribute the bulk of toxic air emissions, and therefore, we have also recommended massive augmentation of public transport and mobility systems, and vehicle restraint measures like increased parking rates and parking management area plans. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It is only in the case of commercial vehicles, like trucks, that CSE has researched and recommended targeted fleet renewal and scrappage, but this also with incentives for commercial vehicle owners to replace fleets," CSE said. Some other experts, however, pointed out that the age of the vehicle was a telling factor on the possibility of higher emissions. Deepty Jain, assistant professor at the Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Centre in IIT Delhi, said that the tail-pipe emission of a vehicle depends on the vehicle's age, make, model, kilometres driven, and fitness. "If the annual average kilometres driven is high, one can expect its average emissions per kilometre to be higher than newer vehicles," she said. She added that age becomes one of the benchmarks to omit the emitting vehicles. "The problem is that for vehicles, a baseline must be made. Obtaining a PUC certificate is not difficult, so also the fitness certificate. So how do I really discourage people from using older vehicles? I cannot do anything else but look at the age," Jain said. A 2018 TERI-ARAI study said that approximately 40% of PM2.5 was generated by the transport sector. A recent CSE study based on data from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology said that around 50% of Delhi's air pollution was caused by vehicle emissions. Experts also pointed out that the existing PUC system was faulty and outdated. A study by DTU even proposed an air quality measure such as an exhaust emission index (EEI) to replace the current PUC system. This EEI would largely rely on the idle testing of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC) emission for petrol vehicles and smoke density for diesel vehicles. Dr Rajeev Kumar Mishra, associate professor of environmental engineering at DTU, said maintenance records of vehicles could be identifiers. "Identifying vehicles for phasing out should be based on accumulated mileage, maintenance records and performance by emission norms, not just by age," he said. In 2024, three armoured vehicles used in the Prime Minister's security were denied registration extension by NGT on the grounds of vehicle pollution in Delhi-NCR. The Special Protection Group (SPG) pointed out that the specialised vehicles had only covered 6000, 9500, and 15,000km. However, the BS-III vehicles, then set to de-register in December 2024, were denied extension up to 2029. Green activist Bhavreen Kandhari also called the current no-fuel policy "troubling". The policy encourages people to scrap older cars and buy new ones, which would refresh the vehicle fleet and increase the total number of vehicles on the road. "Clean air won't come from just newer vehicles. It will come with fewer vehicles. That means shifting the focus towards reducing private car dependency," she said. "Age-based bans ignore real-world emissions. An old well-maintained car may emit less than newer, poorly maintained vehicles," she said.
NDTV
7 hours ago
- NDTV
"Fuel Ban On End-Of-Life Vehicles Not Feasible" Delhi Minister To Pollution Body
New Delhi: Delhi's Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has written to Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) seeking a rollback of the End-of-Life (EOL) vehicle impounding order, citing technological and logistical hurdles. "Because of several critical operational and infrastructural challenges, it will not be feasible to implement this order at this juncture. In fact, immediate implementation may be premature and potentially counterproductive," Sirsa stated in the letter Minister Flags Serious Operational Challenges In a detailed three-page letter addressed to the CAQM chief, Mr Sirsa stressed on the premature timing of rollout of the measure, raising on-ground technological and logistical gaps. 1. Technological Gaps In ANPR Systems Mr Sirsa's letter highlighted multiple shortcomings in the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system, that underpins the enforcement mechanism: Technical Glitches: Widespread issues, including malfunctioning sensors, faulty speakers, poor camera placement and software lags were reported across fuel stations. Incomplete Integration: The ANPR system is not yet integrated with the databases of neighbouring NCR states, creating loopholes in enforcement. HSRP Challenges: Vehicles without updated High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) are not reliably detected by the system, leading to misidentification or oversight. "These issues require adequate trial-and-error corrections and field-level calibration before city-wide rollout," the minister noted. 2. Call for Holistic And Regional Implementation The letter also cautioned that enforcing the ban exclusively in Delhi would only displace the problem, rather than solve it. Cross-Border Loopholes: Vehicle owners might simply procure fuel from adjacent districts, like Gurugram, Faridabad and Ghaziabad, undermining the intent of the ban. Illegal Fuel Market: Isolated enforcement in Delhi could unintentionally lead to the emergence of an illicit fuel supply network across district borders. Lack of Readiness In NCR: Neighbouring districts have reportedly not begun installing ANPR cameras at fuel stations, raising questions about the feasibility of a coordinated regional strategy. Delhi Government's Alternative Anti-Pollution Measures: The Delhi Government informed CAQM of a series of alternative initiatives currently underway to reduce vehicular pollution. These include: Massive Green Cover Drive: Over 70 lakh trees and shrubs are set to be planted this year. Technological Innovations: The government is exploring advanced interventions, like cloud seeding for air quality improvement. PUC Regime Overhaul: Strengthening the Pollution Under Control (PUC) certification system for better compliance. Mandatory Anti-Smog Guns: High-rise commercial buildings will be required to install anti-smog guns to tackle construction-related dust pollution. CM Rekha Gupta Echoes Citizens' Concerns, Urges Review Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta took to social media platform X to express solidarity with citizens facing inconvenience over the now-scrapped order. "In view of the difficulties being faced by the citizens of Delhi, our Government has written to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) requesting that the decision of not providing fuel to End-of-Life (EOL) vehicles be reconsidered," she posted.
The Print
8 hours ago
- The Print
Delhi govt does U-turn on ‘fuel ban policy', asks CAQM to put ‘premature implementation' on hold
The policy introduced by the CAQM mandated that around 61 lakh end-of-life (EoL) vehicles identified in Delhi will not be allowed to ply on the capital's roads. The vehicles will be identified by an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera system at all fuel stations and denied fuel across Delhi, and also stand to be impounded by the police. This policy was expected to extend to NCR regions including Gurgaon, Faridabad, and Noida by November. In a letter dated 3 July, the minister said that while the Delhi government complies with the CAQM's plan to phase out old, polluting vehicles, the current policy to deny fuel to these vehicles is not feasible due to operational challenges. 'Because of technological inconsistencies and lack of integration with neighbouring states … there is public discontent and outcry,' read the letter. New Delhi: In the face of backlash over the move, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has requested the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to pause its new directive denying fuel to petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years, two days after the order was implemented in the national capital. The measure was met with backlash by a section of citizens who took to social media to complain about classifying petrol vehicles older than 10 years and diesel vehicles older than 15 years as 'unfit' for Delhi's roads. 62 lakh vehicles banned from fuel overnight in Delhi. No proper EV infra, no affordable alternatives, just pressure on middle class families. Even well-maintained cars face the axe! This isn't saving the planet, it's wrecking livelihoods!! 🤷♂️ — Karan Singh Dhillon (@karandhillon28) July 1, 2025 So, Delhi has banned fuel stations from refuelling 15-year-old petrol and 10-year-old diesel vehicles starting today. Great for headlines, but what about those who can't afford a new car or EV? Poor scrappage support, no exchange offers, no EV infrastructure! Just a sudden ban.… — Arun Prabhudesai (@8ap) July 1, 2025 As a result, the Delhi minister in his letter to the statutory body wrote that 'immediate implementation of the directive may be premature and potentially counterproductive'. The main issues pointed out in the letter were to do with the implementation of the policy, which relies on ANPR systems to recognise the vehicles. The letter said that these ANPR systems have potential glitches, and the camera placement too was not viable. Also, the minister pointed out that 'the system is not yet fully integrated into the databases of neighbouring states'. What this would lead to, said the letter, is people getting fuel from nearby NCR regions for their EoL vehicles rather than taking them off the roads. 'A stage-wise implementation system will not serve its purpose …. It is highly to lead vehicle owners procuring fuel from adjacent districts, circumventing the ban and fostering an illegal cross-border market for fuel,' read the letter. The initial order (Direction 89) to deny fuel to end-of-life polluting vehicles by 1 July was passed by CAQM on 23 April this year. The move had been earlier announced by Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Sirsa, who said it would come into force from 31 March, but it was pushed to ensure more time for fuel stations to be equipped with ANPR cameras. The order to deny fuel to EoL vehicles from plying on Delhi's roads came after numerous advisories and directions by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Supreme Court, Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, and the Delhi government in a bid to reduce air pollution. However, in the letter, Sirsa mentioned that the Delhi government has existing and ongoing measures to curb pollution, such as planting 70 lakh trees, strengthening the pollution certificate (PUC) regime for vehicles, and cloud seeding measures. 'We are confident that the ongoing multipronged efforts of the Delhi government will achieve substantial improvements in air quality,' read his letter to the CAQM. (Edited by Amrtansh Arora) Also Read: Delhi's new fuel policy is forcing people to buy new cars. It won't reduce pollution
