The Delhi government has approached the Supreme Court seeking a review of the blanket ban on older diesel and petrol vehicles in the National Capital Region (NCR), arguing for a more nuanced, emission-based regulatory framework instead of rigid age-based restrictions.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Bhushan R. Gavai is scheduled to hear the plea on July 28. The petition challenges the apex court’s October 29, 2018, judgment that upheld the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) earlier directive banning diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles over 15 years old.
In its plea, the Delhi government has called for a comprehensive study to be conducted by the Centre and the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to assess whether the environmental benefits of these age-based restrictions are significantly better than a more scientific, emission-based vehicle fitness policy.
The government emphasized that vehicle emissions vary depending on maintenance and usage, and therefore, a blanket ban based purely on age may not effectively address pollution concerns. It advocated for a policy that assesses vehicles on actual emission levels using standardized testing methods.
The Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling had directed transport departments in NCR states to enforce the NGT’s November 26, 2014, order, which categorically barred all diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years from plying in the region.
The NGT order also stipulated that vehicles older than 15 years should not be allowed to park in public spaces and must be seized and penalized under provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. This direction applied universally to all vehicle types — two-wheelers, three-wheelers, four-wheelers, light and heavy vehicles, both private and commercial.
