The Delhi government has implemented a sweeping new policy from Tuesday aimed at reducing air pollution by targeting End-of-Life (EOL) vehicles.
According to new guidelines from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), petrol and diesel stations throughout the National Capital Territory (NCT) will no longer provide fuel to vehicles that have crossed their permitted age, 10 years for diesel and 15 years for petrol.
This rule will be enforced using AI-powered Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras installed at fuel stations.
The system identifies outdated vehicles by scanning license plates and automatically denying them fuel.
In addition, those found operating such vehicles in public areas may face penalties: Rs 10,000 for four-wheelers and Rs 5,000 for two-wheelers.
Compliance at fuel stations
Petrol pump attendants have been instructed to comply strictly.
Sanjay Dedha, who manages a station in Vivek Vihar, noted, “The Delhi government has installed the system. Let’s see from today, if vehicles within that category come. We are waiting to see if the system works fine. If there are any server-related hiccups, we will physically identify old vehicles and not provide petrol or diesel to them.”
At another station in Lal Kuan, Bharat Petroleum supervisor Ram Lagan Shukla confirmed that the policy took effect on the first of the month, saying, “It has come into effect from today, the 1st of the month, that vehicles running on petrol which are over 15 years old will not be given petrol here. We will check the condition of the vehicle and its documents as well.”
This measure forms part of a broader strategy to improve Delhi’s air quality, which remains among the worst globally.
The crackdown also includes the immediate seizure of EOL vehicles found parked near fuel stations or on public roads.
Authorities are urging residents to confirm the registration validity of their vehicles to avoid fines or confiscation.
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