Delhi govt to enforce ban on refuelling overaged vehicles from April 1

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The Delhi government is gearing up to enforce a ban on refuelling overage petrol and diesel vehicles in the city starting April 1. Over 80 per cent of filling stations across the city will be equipped with devices to identify deregistered vehicles.

The automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras installed at petrol pumps will be capable of detecting both overaged vehicles and those lacking a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate, officials said.

Delhi has around 500 fuel pump stations, and the new systems are being implemented at these locations. When a vehicle that does not comply with the regulations comes in for refuelling, the system will flag it, prompting attendants to refuse refueling, officials added.

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa explained that enforcement will be strengthened through the use of modern technology, including emission-monitoring devices at petrol pumps. Vehicles without a valid PUC certificate will be flagged, and appropriate action will be taken.

"The devices are being installed at fuel pump stations throughout the city to identify vehicles not fulfilling norms. These new gadgets are already installed at over 80 per cent of the petrol pumps," he told reporters.

The Transport Department of the Delhi government deregistered over 59 lakh vehicles until September last year.

Diesel vehicles that have been on the road for 10 years after registration and petrol vehicles that have been on the road for 15 years are automatically deregistered from the Transport Department database, as per the directions of the National Green Tribunal.

Overaged vehicles, if found parked in public places or on the road, are seized by the Transport Department. The Delhi government has also introduced a policy offering incentives to owners of such vehicles for scrapping them, officials said.

In 2024, the government issued guidelines for handling end-of-life vehicles in public places. The guidelines state that impounded vehicles can only be released if the owner agrees to park them in private premises or gets them registered in another state after obtaining the necessary approvals.