Ban on old vehicles irrational: L-G urges CM to rethink policy

Amid mounting public concerns over the blanket fuel ban on end-of-life (EOL) vehicles in the Capital, Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) VK Saxena has written to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, urging a comprehensive rethink of the policy.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) directive, which has now been revoked, barred petrol pumps from refueling diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol ones over 15 years starting July 1, triggering confusion and criticism across the city. In a detailed letter, L-G Saxena said the implementation of the CAQM’s directive is fraught with practical, legal and socio-economic challenges.

He acknowledged the CM’s recent meeting with him on the issue and the Environment Minister’s appeal to the CAQM seeking a deferment of the order, citing technical hurdles and uneven enforcement across the National Capital Region (NCR).

Calling the fuel embargo on older vehicles “perhaps in need of a comprehensive reappraisal,” Saxena flagged that the directive could violate the principle of legal certainty and equal treatment.

“It is irrational to imagine that a 10-year-old diesel vehicle is deemed illegal in Delhi while remaining roadworthy in other Indian cities under the same law,” he wrote, pointing out that the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, provides for uniform rules across the country.

He said defining EOL status solely by age – without considering mechanical condition, emissions or usage – could unfairly penalise middle-class families who rely on such vehicles.

“Many such vehicles are well-maintained and compliant with emission norms, yet their owners are being forced to sell them at junk rates,” Saxena noted, terming this a “travesty of justice.”

While reaffirming the seriousness of Delhi’s pollution crisis, Saxena called for a proportionate and balanced enforcement mechanism rather than a rigid age-based approach. He urged the government to consider technological options such as retrofitting, emissions testing and hybrid categorisation before scrapping vehicles.

The L-G also stressed that vehicular pollution is just one of many contributors to Delhi’s toxic air – alongside stubble burning, weather conditions, construction dust and traffic congestion – and that the government must pursue a holistic plan rather than rely solely on punitive vehicle bans.

Criticising the previous government for focusing only on scrapping policies without offering alternatives, Saxena called for pollution-control strategies grounded in “legality, fairness and socioeconomic sensitivity.”

Delhi