Delhi govt gears up to enforce ban on refuelling overaged vehicles from April 1

Starting April 1, the Delhi government will enforce a ban on refuelling overage petrol and diesel vehicles in the city. To implement this, over 80% of the city’s fuel stations are being equipped with automated systems to detect deregistered vehicles.

Petrol pumps will feature automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, which will identify vehicles exceeding the age limit as well as those without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate, officials confirmed.

Delhi has approximately 500 fuel stations, and the new enforcement system is being integrated across these locations. If a non-compliant vehicle attempts to refuel, the system will flag it, prompting attendants to deny service, officials added.

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa stated that technology-driven measures, including emission-monitoring devices at fuel stations, will enhance enforcement. Vehicles without a valid PUC certificate will be flagged, and necessary action will follow.

“These devices are already installed at over 80% of the petrol pumps, ensuring strict compliance with pollution norms,” Sirsa told reporters.

The Delhi Transport Department has deregistered over 59 lakh vehicles as of September last year. According to National Green Tribunal (NGT) directives, diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years are automatically deregistered.

Authorities also seize overage vehicles found parked in public areas. To encourage compliance, the Delhi government has introduced an incentive-based scrappage policy for vehicle owners.

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Additionally, in 2024, the government issued new guidelines on end-of-life vehicles, stating that impounded vehicles will only be released if the owner commits to parking them in private premises or re-registers them in another state after obtaining necessary approvals.

(With inputs from PTI)