Delhi Govt Challenges Blanket Ban On Older Vehicles In Supreme Court

The Delhi government has filed a petition with the Supreme Court, urging a reconsideration of the ban on end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) – specifically, diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles more than 15 years old – across the Delhi-NCR region.

This appeal signals a strong challenge to a directive that has been criticised for lacking nuance and for disproportionately affecting middle-income vehicle owners.

In its submission, the Delhi government has called on the Supreme Court to instruct either the Central government or the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to commission a thorough scientific review.

This proposed study would assess the real environmental impact of the age-based vehicle restrictions and examine whether the ban significantly contributes to air quality improvements in the National Capital Region (NCR).

The government’s plea underlines the importance of reassessing both the practicality and fairness of a blanket age-based ban. It instead recommends an emissions-focused policy, which would evaluate each vehicle on actual emissions and roadworthiness rather than using age as the sole criterion.

“The current approach mandates collective compliance, without distinguishing between heavily polluting and well-maintained, low-use vehicles. This does not align with the broader objective of effectively reducing pollution levels in the region,” the application states.

The petition also draws attention to Bharat Stage 6 (BS-6) emission norms, noting that vehicles meeting this newer standard produce far fewer pollutants than earlier models like BS-4.

The government pointed out that many of the affected vehicles are both well-kept and infrequently used, contributing minimally to pollution.

Research Shows Limited Impact of Older Vehicles

Citing existing research, the application argues that these low-use, older vehicles have a negligible role in the region’s overall pollution levels.

The government expressed concern that the sweeping ban has placed an unreasonable burden on ordinary citizens, particularly those in the middle class who depend on these vehicles for essential, occasional transport.

The Delhi government is now pressing the court to revisit the 2018 order enforcing the vehicle age limit, and instead endorse a more scientific, equitable, and targeted approach to tackling air pollution.

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