No fuel for overage vehicles in Delhi from July 1

Starting July 1, vehicles in Delhi that have crossed their permissible age limit will no longer be allowed to refuel at petrol pumps, as part of a major pollution control initiative by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).The rule applies to End-of-Life (EoL) vehicles, defined as diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years. Identified using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras installed at fuel stations, these overage vehicles will be denied fuel in a phased rollout.

From November 1, the refuelling restriction will be extended to Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, and Sonipat. The remaining parts of the National Capital Region (NCR) will come under the rule from April 1, 2026.
The ANPR technology cross-checks vehicle number plates with the VAHAN database to determine fuel type, age, and registration details. If a vehicle is found to exceed the prescribed age limit, it is automatically flagged as EoL. Petrol pumps are then notified to deny fuel, and violations are forwarded for enforcement.Earlier this month, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta unveiled the Air Pollution Mitigation Plan 2025 to tackle Delhi’s long-standing air pollution crisis. Under the proposed plan, vehicular emissions, consistently identified as a primary source of Delhi’s air pollution, are also being targeted. The plan included installing ANPR cameras at all entry points into Delhi and at petrol pumps to help detect and flag end-of-life vehicles, which are often high polluters due to outdated engines.