Fuel ban on old vehicles in Delhi, NCR from Nov 1

The CAQM’s decision came after a review meeting was held earlier in the day. “The amendment to the Direction No. 89 shall allow GNCTD (Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi) some more time to address the technological gaps in the implementation of the ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) system and shall also align enforcement across the NCT of Delhi with the enforcement in five HVD districts of NCR,” read the order.

The Transport department officials of Delhi and nearby states have been directed “to ensure proper installation and operation of the ANPR system”. The officials also need to ensure the timely trial of the ANPR system and training of manpower, as per the directions.

The decision follows a written request last week from Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who flagged “critical operational and infrastructural challenges” in rolling out the measures outlined in Direction No. 89, issued on April 23.

Welcoming the CAQM’s latest decision, Sirsa called the move a “citizen-centric” step in Delhi’s pollution control approach. He underlined that the government is working “in people’s interest” under CM Rekha Gupta’s leadership. “This is a big relief for thousands of citizens who were unfairly impacted…Delhi will not tolerate faulty and selective enforcement,” he asserted.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the Central panel has taken “a significant and commendable decision in the interest of the public”. “We will utilise the time provided by CAQM until November 1 to bring further relief to the residents of Delhi. We will continue to work with all relevant stakeholders to move towards a long-term, just, and practical solution,” she said in a post on X. “Our resolve is to ensure that, alongside environmental protection, the needs, employment, and dignity of Delhi’s citizens are fully considered,” she asserted.

The CAQM direction had initially mandated that the denial of fuel and legal action against old vehicles identified using ANPR cameras at fuel pumps would commence from July 1 in Delhi, November 1 in five HVD NCR districts and April 1, 2026, across the rest of NCR. As per the latest decision, the CAQM will stick to its initial timeline to enforce the ban in the rest of the NCR.

In his letter to the CAQM last week, Sirsa had pointed to widespread glitches in the ANPR systems, including faulty sensors, poor camera placement, and failure to detect vehicles lacking High Security Registration Plates (HSRP).

He also flagged the lack of system integration with vehicle databases in neighbouring states, warning of fuel tourism and a potential illegal cross-border market. Sirsa said that “immediate implementation… may be premature and potentially counter-productive”.

The move to enforce the fuel ban on overage vehicles in the Capital stems from an order by the Supreme Court in 2018 and a 2014 National Green Tribunal (NGT) order, which bar 10-year-old diesel and 15-year-old petrol vehicles from plying in the city.

Earlier in the day, former CM and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi on Tuesday had targeted the BJP government over the restrictions before the CAQM issued its order, saying that people had been inconvenienced because of it.

“Be it through ordinance or by calling a special Assembly session, the BJP should address this issue. We will support them. If the Delhi government does not have the power, the Centre can do so by calling a Parliament session,” she said.

On Sunday, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had said her government will urge the Supreme Court to allow uniform rules on overage vehicles in the national capital in line with those followed across the country.