Delhi Government Revises Fuel Ban Policy: End-of-Life Vehicles Won’t Be Scrapped, Fuel Ban Put on Hold

In a significant policy shift, the Delhi government has decided not to scrap all End-of-Life (EOL) vehicles under its latest environmental directive. The controversial fuel ban on older petrol and diesel vehicles has now been put on hold, following a request by Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa.

🧾 Key Highlights:

Fuel ban on EOL vehicles paused until tech infrastructure is in place

No immediate scrapping of old petrol/diesel vehicles

Delhi’s Direction No. 89 under review pending full ANPR rollout

Public criticism prompts re-evaluation of implementation strategy

🔧 Fuel Ban Temporarily Suspended

Environment Minister Sirsa has urged the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to pause the implementation of Direction No. 89, which was enforced on July 1, 2025. The rule restricted fuel supply to:

Petrol vehicles older than 15 years

Diesel vehicles older than 10 years

The decision was aimed at phasing out pollution-heavy vehicles to improve Delhi’s worsening air quality.

📩 Official Letter to CAQM

In a letter accessed by ANI, Sirsa stated:

“We urge the Commission to put the implementation of Direction No. 89 on hold with immediate effect till the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system is seamlessly integrated across the entire NCR.”

He added that the Delhi Government’s multi-pronged environmental efforts are expected to drive substantial improvements in air quality without immediately disrupting vehicle usage.

🛑 What Happened on July 1?

Following the initial enforcement:

Over 450 fuel stations across Delhi stopped dispensing fuel to ELVs

Several fuel pumps installed Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras

Some stations were manned by traffic police and transport officials to issue fines or seize vehicles

Despite the intentions, the move faced widespread criticism for its suddenness and lack of preparation.

📢 Public Backlash

The policy sparked backlash from:

Common citizens and small business owners, whose livelihoods depend on older vehicles

A former IAF officer, who questioned the rationale behind grounding “clean-running” older vehicles while India still flies 40-year-old aircraft

On social media, many labelled the policy as “corporate-driven” and disconnected from ground realities.

🛠️ Delhi’s Next Steps

The Environment Ministry is now focusing on:

Full integration of ANPR systems across Delhi NCR

Ensuring technological readiness before any blanket bans are imposed

Exploring alternative methods to curb emissions without disrupting mobility