The Delhi government will prohibit fuel refuelling for petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles exceeding 10 years of age starting April 1. Petrol pumps across the city are equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to identify overage and deregistered vehicles. More than 80 per cent of the city's 500 fuel stations have already installed these devices, which will flag violators and prevent them from purchasing fuel.
The initiative aims to curb vehicular pollution following the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) directives. If a deregistered vehicle attempts to refuel, the ANPR system will alert petrol pump staff, who will then refuse service.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa emphasised that pollution monitoring devices are also being installed at fuel stations to reinforce compliance. The government is taking a strict stance to ensure older vehicles do not continue to operate on Delhi’s roads, which contributes to pollution levels.
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According to officials, vehicles exceeding the prescribed age limits are automatically deregistered from the transport department’s database. If such vehicles are found parked in public spaces or on the road, they will be seized by authorities. The Delhi government has implemented a scrapping incentive policy to encourage vehicle owners to dispose of their old vehicles responsibly.
As per the ‘Guidelines for Handling End-of-Life Vehicles in Public Places of Delhi, 2024,’ effective from March 19, impounded overage vehicles will only be released if the owner either registers the vehicle in another state or parks it in private premises. Owners will also have to pay a penalty, Rs 10,000 for cars and Rs 5,000 for two-wheelers, along with an undertaking. If such vehicles are found on the roads again, they will be sent to scrapyards.
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Authorities have deregistered over 59 lakh overage vehicles in Delhi as of September 2023, with two-wheelers forming the majority. Despite the ban, many such vehicles continue to operate, violating the NGT’s orders.
Delhi launched a drive to remove overage vehicles in March 2021. Officials have warned that if a seized vehicle is registered in another state, the owner must justify its presence in Delhi. Repeated violations will lead to permanent scrapping.