From July 1, petrol pumps across Delhi will no longer provide fuel to vehicles that have crossed their legal age limit, known as End-of-Life (EoL) vehicles. According to the latest rules by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years will not be allowed to refuel anywhere in the city.
This strict measure has been introduced to reduce air pollution caused by aging vehicles. To ensure proper implementation, personnel from the Delhi Police, Transport Department, and Municipal Corporation will be stationed at petrol pumps across the national capital. Around 350 fuel stations have been identified, with one traffic police officer and two additional security personnel at each location to monitor and prevent refueling of banned vehicles.
To make identification easy, Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems will be used at petrol stations. These systems will scan every vehicle’s number plate and immediately detect if it is an EoL vehicle. If caught, the vehicle will be seized, and a fine (challan) will be issued to the owner.
Petrol pump operators have been instructed to maintain a manual or digital log of all denied fuel transactions and submit weekly reports to the Transport Department. They must also train their staff to understand and follow the new rules. If a petrol pump fails to comply, it may face penalties under Section 192 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. This move follows earlier orders by the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that restrict the use and parking of old vehicles in Delhi to improve air quality.
