Old Vehicle Ban: Delhi Govt Heads to Supreme Court, Seeks Relief for Lakhs of Owners

The issue of banning old vehicles in Delhi may now reach the Supreme Court. On this matter, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said, “Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has written a letter to Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) requesting that the plan be revived. We will present the matter before the Supreme Court and plead on behalf of the people of Delhi. The government will also present its stance regarding pollution.”

The Delhi government had announced a ban, effective from July 1, on diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles over 15 years old under the End-of-Life (EOL) policy. These vehicles were prohibited from receiving fuel at pumps. Due to this, people protested against the decision.

CM Rekha Gupta said, “We will fight for Delhi’s rights, which are based on parameters applied across the country. The same should be implemented in Delhi. The government should do its job, and the administration should do its part, but our goal is that the people of Delhi should not suffer. To revive this order, we will present ourselves before all agencies that were part of this decision and will do everything possible to provide relief to the people of Delhi.”

Environment Minister Called the Ban Difficult

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that due to technical challenges and a complex system, implementing such a fuel ban is difficult.

He mentioned that efforts are underway to develop a system for seizing poorly maintained vehicles, instead of penalising those who properly maintain their cars and motorcycles.

Impact on More Than 6.2 Million Vehicles

On July 1, this order recently came into effect by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). Its aim was to reduce pollution caused by vehicles in the national capital, Delhi, where people suffer from toxic smog in the winter and poor air quality throughout the year.

The order affected more than 62 lakh vehicles, which includes cars, 2-wheelers, heavy trucks and old classic vehicles. This order was issued on the basis that vehicles are one of the major sources of pollution in Delhi.

Cameras Installed at Petrol Pumps

Based on data available on the website, half of Delhi's pollution comes from motor vehicles. End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) were to be identified using cameras installed at 498 petrol pumps in the National Capital Region. These cameras are connected to a central database that checks number plates to determine a vehicle's ELV status and alerts the fuel operator.

‘Delhi Not Ready Yet’

Meanwhile, Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena has also written a letter to the Delhi government regarding this decision. He said that currently, Delhi is not ready for such a ban. He has demanded a temporary halt to this order. The lieutenant governor stated that at present, Delhi does not have the infrastructure to remove or scrap millions of vehicles.