Delhi News

No fuel for overage vehicles in Delhi starting July 1! Noida, Gurugram & other NCR cities to impose similar restrictions

New Delhi: In a step to clean up its polluted air, Delhi will soon roll out a first-of-its-kind refuelling ban on vehicles that have outlived their legal lifespan. Beginning 1 July 2025, fuel stations across the capital will be barred from serving these ageing vehicles, a move spearheaded by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

The ambitious initiative aims to slash emissions from older vehicles, widely recognised as one of the city’s top pollution culprits. Under the new system, sophisticated Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, already being installed at fuel pumps and key junctions, will instantly detect vehicles that have crossed their permitted operational age.

These flagged vehicles will be turned away at the pump, marking a radical shift in the way authorities tackle vehicular pollution. But Delhi won’t be alone for long. From 1 November 2025, the fuel ban will extend to five neighbouring districts including Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, and Sonipat, all of which regularly record high pollution levels.

The entire National Capital Region (NCR) is expected to come under the rule by April 2026.

Old commercial vehicles to be barred from entering Delhi starting November 1

In a complementary move, the CAQM has also declared that from 1 November, all commercial vehicles entering Delhi must adhere to the stringent BS-VI emission standards. This effectively shuts the city’s gates to older, dirtier diesel trucks, allowing access only to those running on cleaner fuels like compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), or electricity. Even commercial vehicles registered within Delhi will need to comply with BS-VI norms to stay on the road.

These sweeping measures arrive as part of a broader, urgent campaign to tackle the capital’s air pollution crisis, which worsens sharply during the colder months. With air quality frequently plunging into the ‘hazardous’ category, public health experts have long warned of dire consequences if robust action isn’t taken.