The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed that no coercive measures be taken against owners of diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years in Delhi, pending further hearing of the matter.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai, Justice K. Vinod Chandran, and Justice N.V. Anjaria issued the interim order while hearing the Delhi government’s plea challenging the ban on such vehicles in the national capital.
Issuing notice on the petition, the Court observed:
“In the meantime, no coercive steps to be taken against the owners of the car on the ground that they are 10 years old in respect to diesel vehicles and 15 years old with respect to petrol vehicles. List it after four weeks.”
The Delhi government approached the apex court seeking a review of its 2018 order, which had upheld a blanket ban on 10-year-old diesel and 15-year-old petrol vehicles in Delhi-NCR. That ruling stemmed from a 2015 directive of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) aimed at curbing the capital’s severe air pollution.
The petition argued that the current restrictions lack adequate scientific basis and fail to account for the actual condition or emission levels of individual vehicles.
The case comes in the backdrop of the Delhi government’s recent — and quickly withdrawn — “no fuel for old vehicles” policy. Announced in July 2025 under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s administration, the policy prohibited fuel stations from supplying petrol or diesel to end-of-life vehicles. It was put on hold within two days following public backlash, with officials citing logistical and infrastructure challenges.
Subsequently, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) issued directions to enforce a fuel ban for old vehicles across Delhi-NCR from November 1, 2025. The Delhi government has now challenged this enforcement plan before the Supreme Court, contending that such measures should be based on robust data and scientific evaluation rather than fixed vehicle age limits.
The matter will be heard again after four weeks.
