Delhi Fuel Ban For Old Petrol, Diesel Vehicles Begins Today; 350 Pumps Under Strict Watch
In a landmark move to combat the city’s persistent air pollution crisis, a comprehensive ban on the sale of petrol and diesel to older vehicles has taken effect across the national capital today, July 1, 2025. Under the new regulations, diesel vehicles that are more than 10 years old and petrol vehicles exceeding 15 years of age are barred from refueling at any petrol station in Delhi.
The directive, issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), is a critical component of a broader strategy to phase out polluting vehicles from the city’s roads. To ensure stringent enforcement, a massive mobilization of personnel from the Transport Department, Delhi Police, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is underway. A total of 350 petrol stations have been identified as key enforcement points, with teams deployed to monitor compliance and take swift action against violators.
This multi-agency effort includes the deployment of Delhi Police teams at the 100 petrol pumps identified with the highest footfall of End-of-Life (EoL) vehicles. The Transport Department will oversee 59 stations, while joint teams will manage 91 particularly sensitive locations. The remaining 100 stations will be monitored by MCD employees. These squads are empowered to not only issue fines but also impound vehicles that flout the new rules.
The legal framework for this initiative is anchored in a 2018 Supreme Court order and a 2014 National Green Tribunal ruling, which prohibited the plying and parking of such aged vehicles in public spaces.
To support the on-ground enforcement, the Delhi government has mandated Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all fuel stations. These include displaying clear signages that read, “Fuel will not be dispensed to End of Life Vehicles — i.e. 15 years old Petrol and CNG and 10 years old Diesel 01.07.2025.” Petrol pump operators are also required to maintain a log of all transactions where fuel was denied to an EoL vehicle.
In a technological push for compliance, Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras will be operational at these fuel stations. These systems will instantly scan vehicle registration plates against the VAHAAN database to identify EoL vehicles in real-time. The Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation (DTIDC) has been tasked with ensuring the smooth functioning of this high-tech surveillance.
The scale of the problem is immense, as data from the VAHAAN database reveals that Delhi is home to approximately 62 lakh EoL vehicles, a staggering figure that includes 41 lakh two-wheelers and 18 lakh four-wheelers. The surrounding National Capital Region (NCR) districts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan add another 46 lakh such vehicles to the regional tally, underscoring the urgency of this anti-pollution measure.
Fuel station owners who fail to comply with the new directives will face penalties under Section 192 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Furthermore, weekly reports on non-compliance will be submitted to both the CAQM and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for further action, establishing a strict accountability mechanism to ensure the rules are followed.
