Is Delhi Banning Diesel and Petrol Sales to Older Vehicles?

New Delhi, June 30 (NationPress) Beginning tomorrow, the Delhi government will halt the sale of petrol and diesel to end-of-life (EoL) or aged vehicles. This initiative is part of the effort to combat air pollution caused by vehicular emissions in the Capital, as stated by an official.

Petrol station operators confirmed on Monday that Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras and other technologies connected to the transport ministry's database have been set up at their locations to detect EoL vehicles.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has mandated that all EoL vehicles identified via ANPR cameras or similar devices at gas stations will be refused fuel starting July 1 in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi.

Sanjay Dedha, a petrol pump manager in Vivek Vihar, expressed, "The Delhi government has rolled out the system. We will see how it works starting tomorrow. If vehicles within that category arrive, we are prepared. In case of any server issues, we will manually check for old vehicles and deny them petrol or diesel."

Dedha further remarked, "We aim to support the government’s initiatives, which are beneficial for everyone’s health."

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa previously stated, "Delhi will not be marked by landfills or smog. Our ambition is to eliminate waste mountains, minimize dust, and ensure cleaner air in every community—this is governance that acts, not merely waits."

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also highlighted on Monday that the government is implementing concrete measures to achieve a pollution-free and greener national capital.

"Public transportation is swiftly transitioning to electric vehicles, which will alleviate pollution and provide the residents of Delhi with clean and affordable transportation," CM Gupta noted in a post on X.

To enforce the ban on fuel sales to EoL vehicles, AI-powered cameras linked to the Transport Department's database are in place at fuel stations. These cameras will read number plates, identify aged vehicles, and notify petrol station staff.

From tomorrow, petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles (for personal use) over 10 years will be prohibited from purchasing fuel, an official confirmed.

The transport department defines EoL vehicles as those that are no longer validly registered, whether they operate on petrol, CNG, or diesel. This includes petrol vehicles exceeding 15 years and diesel vehicles surpassing 10 years.

The transport department has cautioned that petrol station owners found supplying fuel to EoL vehicles may face penalties.