New Delhi: Following orders from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), the BJP-led Delhi government on July 1 implemented a ban on refuelling end-of-life Vehicles (ELVs) i.e. diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles over 15 years old. The move, aimed at curbing Delhi’s air pollution, uses Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at around 498 fuel stations, including 382 petrol or diesel pumps and 116 CNG stations. These cameras check vehicle plates against the VAHAN database, instantly identifying ELVs to block fuel access. The ban comes with hefty fines. Violators have to pay Rs 5,000 for two-wheelers and Rs 10,000 for four-wheelers. There is also a possibility of vehicle seizure for scrapping. Of Delhi’s over 80 lakh registered vehicles, about 62 lakh, including 41 lakh two-wheelers, are ELVs.Rajesh Kumar, a 42-year-old auto-rickshaw driver based in Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar, expressed his disappointment at the ban as he manoeuvred his 12-year-old diesel-powered Swift Dzire through the morning bustle.This vehicle was his livelihood. For over a decade, it had ferried passengers through the capital’s chaotic streets. As he approached a nearby petrol pump on the Ring Road, he saw a blue signboard put up by the transport department. “Fuel will not be dispensed to End-Of-Life vehicles i.e. 15-year-old petrol vehicles and 10-year-old diesel vehicles from July 1,” it read. His car, past its 10-year mark, was now an outlaw.His story is one of many caught in the crosshairs of Delhi’s new controversial policy.A signboard at the petrol pump regarding the ban on end-of-life vehicles. Photo: Syed AbubakrRajesh was eventually turned back from the pump as the attendant refused to provide fuel, given the status of his vehicle. It didn’t matter that he had maintained his vehicle and passed every emission test.The Delhi Traffic Police has reportedly deployed extra personnel at “sensitive” pumps, anticipating confrontation between vehicle owners and pump attendants.On the very first day of the policy’s implementation, 80 end-of-life vehicles were impounded, and 98 others received notices. The next day, 80 more ELVs were seized. The backlash too was immediate. Around 89% two-wheeler owners and 44% four-wheeler owners of Delhi, surveyed by LocalCircles, have been against the fuel ban for old vehicles.Sachin Taparia, Founder of LocalCircles, said, “Keeping a vehicle off the roads based on age of the vehicle is non-scientific as a 6-year-old diesel car with 300,000 kilometres distance travelled, can be far more polluting than an 11-year-old diesel car with 30,000 kilometres of distance covered.”Avik Chattopadhyay, Chairperson at XADM (XLRI Centre for Automobile Design and Management) and Founder of INDEA (Indian School for Design of Automobiles), said that the entire methodology of deciding end-of-life for a vehicle is faulty. “It cannot be decided by the number of years, but by application, maintenance and mileage,” he said. “What the GNCTD tried was a populist quick fix, being advised by some organisations who obviously have biased agendas and possibly vested interests.”Chattopadhyay offered alternatives to curb pollution, such as designing a proper traffic flow, preventing fuel adulteration, decongesting cities and creating higher-quality public transport.AAP Delhi Convenor Saurabh Bhardwaj criticised the ruling BJP in the national capital and said, “This is designed only to benefit the wealthy, while middle and lower-middle-class families suffer. Running a government is a serious business. It cannot be run like ‘Phulera Panchayat’. CAQM also issued an order to Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, but they didn’t implement it, so why did Delhi do it?”Social media erupted with stories of low and middle-income families, who rely on aging vehicles for their day-to-day tasks. For many, these vehicles weren’t just metal and rubber; they were tied to memories, struggles and dreams.Rajesh’s neighbor, Shalini Gupta, a 35-year-old school teacher, faced a similar situation. Her 16-year-old Honda Activa was her only means of commuting to work. “My father saved for years to buy it for me,” she said as she stood outside her home.Shalini had joined a growing chorus of Delhiites who felt the ban was unfair. The policy, while well-intentioned, disproportionately burdens the working class, who make up a significant portion of Delhi’s ELV owners.India’s motor vehicle rules, governed by the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, provide the legal backbone for the ban. Section 192 allows penalties for non-compliance, including fines and vehicle impoundment. The rules classify vehicles as ELVs based on age, a policy rooted in the Supreme Court’s 2018 order to phase out polluting vehicles in the National Capital Region (NCR).The issue of ELVs has been lingering for years, until the National Green Tribunal took it up in 2015, followed by the Supreme Court in 2018. However, its implementation was stalled due to the absence of identification technology like ANPR.Unlike fitness-based systems in some states, Delhi’s approach is rigid, offering no exemptions for vehicles that are well-maintained. The CAQM’s rule mandates fuel denial at pumps, with enforcement by joint teams of the Delhi Transport Department, Traffic Police, and municipal bodies. Non-compliant fuel stations will have to face stringent penalties.On the very first day of the policy’s implementation, 80 end-of-life vehicles were impounded, and 98 others received notices. Photo: Syed Abubakr.Senior Automotive expert Tutu Dhawan weighed in on the issue, saying that even 30-40 years old fighter and passenger aircrafts get duly certified for use after they have been tested, certified and upgraded, if required for use by the respective governments.“Why in Delhi are these harsh rules implemented without understanding the common man’s problems? Delhi government, under the directive of the NGT, is the only administrative institution where logic is not applied when banning age-old vehicles, even when they have a low mileage on the odometer and pass all pollution tests,” he added.Rajesh’s frustration was palpable. He had heard the BJP government’s poll promises of cleaner air, but to him, the ban, now in force, felt like a punishment for being poor. “I don’t burn stubble or run factories which cause major pollution,” he said. The CAQM’s rationale behind this move was to initiate drastic steps in order to improve Delhi’s deteriorated air quality, which is often ranked among the world’s worst.The city’s air quality sometimes crosses the dangerous 900-mark on the Air Quality Index (AQI), with vehicle emissions contributing 20-25% to PM2.5 levels, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).Older vehicles, lacking modern emission controls like BS-VI standards, are significant polluters. The CAQM’s phased plan, extending to NCR districts like Gurugram and Faridabad by November 1, and the entire NCR by April 1 next year, aims to address this issue systematically.Yet, the policy’s rollout was met by challenges. Just two days after the ban’s implementation, Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa wrote to the CAQM, urging a suspension of the direction with “immediate effect till the ANPR System is seamlessly integrated across NCR”, citing “critical operational and infrastructural challenges.”In a letter dated July 3, Sirsa wrote, “It will not be feasible to implement this order at this juncture. In fact, immediate implementation of Direction No. 89 may be premature and potentially counterproductive.”The ANPR system, while advanced, wasn’t fully integrated across the NCR, allowing ELV owners to refuel in neighbouring cities like Noida and Gurugram, where cameras were yet to be installed by November 1. This loophole risked creating an illegal cross-border fuel market, undermining the ban’s purpose.Sirsa also highlighted technical glitches, such as improper camera installations and incomplete data integration with neighbouring states’ vehicle databases. He said that “there is public discontent and outcry” because of the “technological inconsistencies of this extremely complex system and lack of integration” with neighbouring states.Owners of ELVs could surrender their vehicles for a nominal incentive which is 1-3% of the vehicle’s value. But for many, it is a pittance compared to the cost of a new vehicle. India’s scrappage policy, while offering tax rebates for new vehicle purchases, hasn’t scaled up to handle Delhi’s 62 lakh ELVs, with only 38 registered scrapping facilities nationwide, as per the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.Other solutions to curb vehicle emissionsComparing Delhi’s approach to other countries reveals other potential gaps. In Beijing’s vehicle restriction policies, introduced in 2008, high-emission vehicles are banned from certain zones, but enforcement focuses on emissions testing rather than the vehicle’s age. Owners of older vehicles can also upgrade engines to meet standards, an option absent in Delhi’s blanket ban.Germany’s “Umweltzone” (low-emission zones) require vehicles to display emission stickers, with fines for non-compliance but no outright fuel bans. Japan’s strict periodic inspections ensure older vehicles meet emission standards, encouraging maintenance over scrapping. Delhi’s age-based approach, while simpler, lacks the nuance of these systems, ignoring well-maintained vehicles that passed their last emission test last year.Anupam Manur, Professor of Economics at the Takshashila Institution, argued that the ban policy is “coercive, thoughtless and a perfect example of policy making that is agnostic to outcomes”.Manur further said that instead of relying on the vehicle’s age, the criteria should be based on actual pollution norms and standards. “The most important intervention from the government should be to focus on providing better public transport options and marginally changing incentives for private car ownership to reduce vehicle emissions,” he said.The Delhi Petrol Pump Dealers Association too has voiced objections, arguing that fuel, as an essential commodity, shouldn’t be denied under the Essential Commodities Act. Dealers faced a logistical nightmare, monitoring thousands of vehicles daily, while risking confrontations with frustrated owners. The association’s petition warned that penalising dealers under Section 192 blurred the line between private and state responsibilities.Delhi’s Jasola area engulfed in smog in winter of 2024. Photo: Syed AbubakrIn the year 2019, air pollution caused 1.67 million deaths in India, accounting for 17.8% of the nation’s total mortality, making it the highest globally.Environmental activist Bhavreen Kandhari said that the intent to curb pollution is commendable, but banning vehicles solely based on age is not the right way. “A well-maintained car with a valid PUC shouldn’t be scrapped while real polluters go unchecked. This move disproportionately affects lower-income groups too who can’t afford new vehicles and rely on older ones for livelihood.”Kandhari further said, “Instead of pushing people to buy more cars, the government should focus on congestion pricing, low-emission zones, strict compliance across industries and public infrastructure. Clean air needs systemic solutions, not symbolic bans.”Mumbai’s 2018 ban on taxis older than 15 years serves as a cautionary tale. Aimed at reducing emissions, the policy had then sparked protests from drivers who couldn’t afford new vehicles. Some drivers circumvented enforcement by refueling outside city limits, highlighting compliance challenges.Delhi faces a similar risk, with Sirsa warning of cross-border fuel markets in NCR. In contrast, Tamil Nadu’s vehicle replacement initiatives, supported by the Electric Vehicle Policy 2023, offer incentives like road tax exemptions and interest subventions to promote cleaner vehicles. The state is also developing its own scrappage policy to complement the national 2021 Vehicle Scrappage Policy. Delhi has not adopted such financial incentives, leaving vehicle owners like Rajesh struggling.The Delhi BJP government promised to deliver clean air during the polls, but for millions like Rajesh, this purported solution has raised more questions than it has answered.Syed Abubakr is a freelance journalist based in Delhi.