Delhi to cut off fuel for older vehicles
From 31 March, vehicles that are older than 15 years will no longer be allowed to fuel up at petrol stations in the Indian capital. According to Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirs, AI-powered cameras will be used at petrol pumps to restrict fuel access.
At a meeting of city officials regarding air pollution, Sirsa said: “We are installing gadgets at petrol pumps which will identify vehicles older than 15 years, and no fuel will be provided to them.”
The city already has a ban in place on petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years. Additionally, each vehicle in the city has had to obtain a Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate proving compliance with the rules. One senior official in the city government told Indian Express that many petrol stations already have AI-enabled cameras to check if vehicles lack a PUC certificate and that they will now also be used to check vehicle age.
Non-compliant drivers will be expected to dispose of their old vehicles, sell them outside of the city under the No-Objection Certificate (NOC) scheme, and seek alternative transport.
The new rule is one of a range of new policies designed to tackle smog and air pollution in the Indian capital. This includes mandatory anti-smog measures, such as the installation of anti-smog guns at high-rise buildings, hotels and commercial complexes.
The city also plans to phase out up to 90% of public CNG buses in favour of electric buses by December 2025. The Delhi government states that 11,000 buses – including 8000 electric buses – will be procured by 2026. This includes 3,680 electric buses by September of 2025. Meanwhile, the national government has also launched a wider EV subsidy scheme.
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