In a major move to address air pollution, the Delhi government has adopted an act prohibiting the sale of fuel to old vehicles, with the effect to take place on July 1, 2025. The new order has now stopped the refueling of the petroleum-based cars (not the petrol and diesel-based) with an age of more than 15 years and the diesel-based vehicles (also not the petrol and diesel-based) with an age of more than 10 years at any fuel station in Delhi.
This will be a big step towards the introduction of what has been termed as the end-of-life vehicle (ELV) category, which has been determined upon by the judicial and environmental regulators.
Enforcement based on Technology using AI and Cameras
To implement this order effectively, the Delhi government has erected the automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras with artificial intelligence in nearly 350 fuel outlets of the city.
The production of these smart cameras has been such that they can scan and identify license plates in real-time. When such an ELV is detected, this system takes action by sounding a hooter signal to alert the fuel station officials, besides drawing close focus of the enforcers.
This technology-driven surveillance system will aim at ending manual error, preventive identification, and enforcement of this ban in a shorter time. These systems are also bolstered by ground teams of the transport and police department, and this was to be seen on the morning of the roll-out in some train stations of South Delhi.
Instant Impounding of violating vehicles
The ANPR system will detect the cars that are indescribably ancient, and then the car will not be given fuel, and in case they miscarry or escape, then they will be impounded on the spot. The personnel at the fuel stations have undergone training and have been informed that they should not accept any person with a non-compliant car.
Even in the event that the owners of the vehicles are trying to avoid the system or rather given opposition to the introduction of the same, there is the risk of losing the vehicle altogether.
The Supreme Court decision of 2018 that prohibited the use of petrol 15-year-old vehicles and diesel 10-year-old old in Delhi, is directly materialized in this policy. This was the order that was made together with the National Green Tribunal (NGT), and they were to reduce the air pollution rates in the city. Yet so far, the checking up of the registration and intermittent crackdowns had been pretty much the form of enforcement relied upon.
Bad News to Owners of Older Cars and Two-Wheelers
The new restriction on the sale of fuel constitutes a massive burden to the owners as they still use their vehicles despite their legal age having expired.
A majority of these vehicles had been in use even after the ban that was imposed in the year 2018, largely because it was not being implemented at the refuelling points. They will not be able to run even informally anymore with this ban on fuel since such cars cannot breathe now in the state of Delhi, and it is no longer there anyway unless they are registered out of state.
Critics argue that the move strengthens the spirit of vigilance to the environment in an unproportionate manner on the poor individuals who also need the old cars. However, the government officials argue that it is essential in one way to reduce risky emissions and lament about a clean and green urban habitat.
Way Ahead
The venue is one of the solutions for clean air, a more extensive one, together with the electrification of public transport, vehicle scrappage policy, replacement by electric 2-wheelers, and cars. The probability also exists that the Delhi fuel ban on end-of-life vehicles could be a precedent for the rest of the cities in India, which are currently facing the issue of vehicular pollution.
The implementation of this policy at full swing implies that vehicle owners in Delhi can become aware of the vehicle age by referring to the VAHAN portal or reaching out to local transport authorities to avoid penalty and impoundment.
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