PETROL BAN In Delhi! Govt To Choke 15-Year-Old Cars At Fuel Stations

In a bold new move to curb vehicular pollution, the New Delhi administration has come up with a shocking regulation – one that will choke the life of polluting vehicles aged 15 years and above!

New Delhi has always had one of the most stringent pollution control measures in place for years. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has restricted the life of privately owned internal combustion engine vehicles plying on the capital city’s roads – 10 years for diesel cars and 15 years for petrol cars. The same is applicable to two-wheelers too. Ahead of the winter months, the administration usually gets into full swing for restricting old vehicles in a bid to reduce harmful pollutants. Insurance renewal is halted for expired vehicles and no PUC certificates are issued as well.

Despite stringent measures, many old car owners were able to get past all restrictions and find a way to keep their cars going. Hence, the Delhi government has figured out a clever way to prevent such vehicles from plying within the NCR territory. 

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Delhi to choke 15-year-old cars

In a press conference, the Environment Minister of Delhi, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, has announced a new rule for banning old cars that involve petrol stations. Delhi’s administration will direct petrol stations to check a vehicle’s age based on the registration plate and deny fuel to those aged 15 years and more. With no fuel disbursement, the government expects owners to voluntarily give up their ageing vehicles and opt for more eco-friendly alternatives.

To ensure that this rule is effectively implied, the government will rely on undisclosed gadgets installed at fuel stations to monitor the age of vehicles before fuel is sold to them. The authorities say that almost 80 per cent of petrol stations have already been given those gadgets as part of the testing phase and in a few months, almost 100 per cent of stations will monitor the age of vehicles. 

#WATCH | Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa says, "...After 31st March, fuel will not be given to 15-year-old vehicles... There are some big hotels, some big office complexes, Delhi airport, big construction sites in Delhi. We are going to make it mandatory for all… pic.twitter.com/xQ2sgZjfri

— ANI (@ANI) March 1, 2025

The new law will be implemented from 31 March, 2025 and all vehicle owners in Delhi will need to comply. This includes both petrol and diesel cars, SUVs, MPVs, motorcycles, commercial vehicles and scooters. 

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What to do if your vehicle is/will reach 15 years of age?

For owners of 15-year-old vehicles in Delhi NCR, there are a couple of solutions to consider.

- The first and easiest one is to get in touch with a government-approved vehicle scrappage dealer and efficiently dispose of your vehicle. There are several incentives from the authorities when purchasing a new vehicle from various manufacturers. 

- The second option is to sell your vehicle in other states where expired vehicles are allowed an extension of life. In such cases, the vehicle needs to undergo a fitness check at a government-approved centre and gain a certificate. 

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