Saturday, March 29, 2025
New Delhi, July 1, 2025 — Starting today, Delhi will no longer allow refuelling of 10-year-old diesel and 15-year-old petrol vehicles at petrol pumps. The city’s Transport Department, in collaboration with Delhi Police, Traffic Police, and MCD officials, has implemented a strict enforcement plan to ensure compliance with this order aimed at reducing air pollution.
In accordance with directions from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), the Delhi government has deployed police personnel at 350 identified petrol pumps across the city. Special enforcement teams will monitor vehicles attempting to refuel in violation of the new rules.
To ensure coordinated implementation, the Transport Department has divided enforcement responsibilities: Delhi Police will cover pumps numbered 1 to 100, while the Transport Department will deploy 59 special squads at pumps numbered 101 to 159. All 350 selected pumps will also have a dedicated traffic police officer on duty.
A senior police officer stated that these traffic personnel will be responsible for identifying non-compliant vehicles, seizing them if necessary, and issuing challans to their owners. To maintain law and order at fuel stations, two additional police officers will be stationed at each pump.
The Delhi government issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on June 17 to guide implementation. The SOP mandates petrol pump operators to maintain a manual or digital log of vehicles that are denied fuel based on their age. Violations by pump operators could lead to penalties under Section 192 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
Additionally, Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation (DTIDC) has been tasked with ensuring the effective functioning of Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems installed at petrol stations. These systems will scan and display vehicle registration data to help identify ineligible vehicles upon entry.
The directive is rooted in the 2018 Supreme Court judgment banning 10-year-old diesel and 15-year-old petrol vehicles from operating in Delhi. An earlier 2014 order by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) also prohibited the parking of such aged vehicles in public spaces.
Notably, the ban applies to all vehicles operating within Delhi, regardless of the state in which they are registered. This is part of a broader effort by CAQM to improve Delhi’s deteriorating air quality and protect public health.
With this new rule now in effect, enforcement teams are expected to begin issuing penalties and seizing vehicles that violate the fuel ban from today onwards.
