Delhi fuel ban sparks more fear than seizures on Day 1 of crackdown

Dealers urge wider NCR clampdown for end-of-life vehicle ban to have impact

Increased checking, anxious customers, and exasperated fuel dealers marked Day 1 of Delhi’s fuel ban and vehicle impounding drive targeting end-of-life (EOL) vehicles. Starting Tuesday, up to 6.2 million vehicles are in the crosshairs of a citywide crackdown by the Delhi government to weed out older, polluting vehicles.

 

Aimed at clearing the capital’s toxic air, the government has banned fuel sales to diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles over 15 years old. To catch and impound them, the transport department has been tasked with installing cameras and sirens at 498 fuel stations and 156 entry points to Delhi, under directions from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

 

“The automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras detect the vehicles, and a siren goes off. We’ve been instructed by the police not to serve them fuel,” said Vikram Singh, a manager at a Bharat Petroleum (HP) pump in Connaught Place. Procured by the Delhi government, the cameras and sirens will be permanent fixtures at these stations.

 

A heavy deployment of police and traffic personnel was seen at 350 select pumps on Tuesday. At an HP pump near Delhi Gate Metro station, both Delhi Police and traffic police officers were stationed inside the pump office to monitor activity. With most vehicle owners aware of the rollout and likely waiting it out, an officer said little action was expected this week. Daily duty rotations are being planned to ensure vigilance and prevent lax enforcement, the official added. 

 

At another IndianOil pump in Connaught Place, police said they were using the ANPR cameras, but also manually checking vehicles. “We’ve seized two motorcycles so far,” one officer said. Those two motorcycles formed the bulk of Day 1’s haul, Delhi Petrol Dealers Association (DPDA) President Nishchal Singhania confirmed. “As of Tuesday evening, just three vehicles were impounded — two motorcycles in Connaught Place and a Mercedes-Benz in New Friends Colony,” he said.

 

Official figures on the number of impounded vehicles had not been released by the transport department, Delhi Police or CAQM at the time of filing this report.

 

Slow and unsteady

 

While the ban has barely resulted in impoundings so far, it has spooked customers across the city, Singhania pointed out.

 

“Retail outlets across Delhi — and especially those near the border — are seeing a sharp dip in sales. Customers are going to other National Capital Region (NCR) towns like Ghaziabad and Noida,” he said.

 

Adding to the confusion: many pumps reported that their ANPR cameras weren’t properly installed within the fuel bays. Others haven’t received the equipment yet, he added.

 

The DPDA is now pushing for the ban to be extended across the NCR for it to be truly effective. “The CAQM has said the ban should cover the entire NCR by November 1. Until then, it’s unlikely to have much impact,” he said.

 

Of over 8 million registered vehicles in Delhi, 6.2 million are deemed EOL, according to CAQM. Of these, 4.2 million are two-wheelers. But many in the industry doubt those numbers.

 

“A lot of these vehicles have been sold to buyers in other states without formal transfer of registration,” said a senior official with the All India Petrol Dealers Association.

 

“The whole thing has become a scarecrow. Even regular vehicles that aren't covered by the ban have stopped turning up because customers are nervous,” the official added.

 

Pump owners are also unhappy with rules that hold them accountable for enforcing the ban. Non-compliance can attract penalties under Section 192 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. “Once the initial flurry dies down, who’s going to manage all this? We don’t have extra staff to spare,” said a pump owner in Karol Bagh.

 

Delhi Police, however, insists that once vehicle data is captured by the cameras, impounding will follow. 

In numbers

 

6,114,728

Estimated number of overaged vehicles (as of March,'25)

  22,397

Overaged vehicles impounded in 2023

  39,273

Overaged vehicles impounded in 2024