Supreme Court Hits Pause on Old Vehicle Ban in Delhi, Orders ‘No Coercive Action’ for 4 Weeks

In a major relief for vehicle owners across the National Capital Region, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a temporary halt to any punitive measures against owners of diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years. The court directed that “no coercive action” be taken against these vehicle owners for the next four weeks while it considers a plea from the Delhi government to review the long-standing ban.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai issued the notice after hearing arguments from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Delhi government. Mehta argued that the matter required serious reconsideration, highlighting the disparity in vehicle usage. “What happens is I have a vehicle I use from home to the court and then back…it could be 2,000 km. So I have to sell that vehicle after 10 years.

Some other vehicles used as a cab may run 2 lakh km in one year,” he contended, questioning the logic of a blanket age-based ban. The bench, while stating it could not pass a final order without hearing the other side, agreed to review the issue and scheduled the next hearing in four weeks.

The ruling puts a temporary stop to a contentious policy that originated from a 2015 National Green Tribunal (NGT) order, which was later upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018 to combat Delhi’s severe air pollution. The issue reignited recently after the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) directed fuel stations to stop selling petrol and diesel to these “end-of-life” vehicles from July 1. However, the policy was suspended within two days following a massive public outcry and logistical challenges.

Following the backlash, the Delhi government petitioned the court to review the ban, arguing that it unfairly penalizes the middle class and lacks a sound scientific basis, especially with the advent of cleaner Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI) emission technologies.

The core of the government’s argument is that a vehicle’s fitness should be determined by its emission levels rather than its age alone. This move marked a significant U-turn for the government and has now brought the decade-old environmental policy under judicial scrutiny once again