Just one day after Delhi implemented the contentious End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) ban, prohibiting refuelling for diesel vehicles over 10 years and petrol vehicles over 15 years at petrol pumps, public backlash has been intense. Many have questioned the reason behind this rule and have raised valid points on the affordability of a new car or electric vehicle, poor scrappage support, lack of exchange offers, and no EV infrastructure. Delhi authorities have installed Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at over 350 fuel stations, connected to the VAHAN database, to scan vehicle number plates and verify validity. Offenders face a Rs 10,000 fine at the pump, with non-compliant vehicles towed to Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities.
Netizens rip apart the End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) ban
To curb air pollution in the National Capital Region, the National Green Tribunal’s 2015 order, upheld by the Supreme Court, banned diesel vehicles over 10 years old. The End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) rule has shocked diesel car owners, rendering their vehicles illegal despite 15-year registration and road tax payments. Owners decry the lack of refunds for the unused five years, calling the policy unfair and a harsh financial blow.
Varun Bahl (@bahl65) posted on X, formerly Twitter, and asked, “Why are we paying road tax for 15 years for diesel cars but they have to be scrapped in 10 years?”
Another netizen, Shiva (@Shiva_Gupta26), questioned the authorities’ sweeping statements on keeping a check on air pollution as how an old diesel-powered government water tanker was driving around Delhi? He said on X, “Government (states) — No fuel for diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15. Also Government still continue(s) to run a DIESEL Water Tanker in Delhi from God knows when, a truck so OLD that even Tata stopped making these front-engine models many years ago!!”
Netizens are urging the government to scrap the blanket 10-year diesel and 15-year petrol vehicle ban, advocating for decisions based on a car’s maintenance condition or emission compliance instead.
Karan Singh Dhillon (@karandhillon28) posted, “62 lakh vehicles banned from fuel overnight in Delhi. No proper EV infra, no affordable alternatives, just pressure on middle-class families. Even well-maintained cars face the axe! This isn’t saving the planet, it’s wrecking livelihoods!!”
Posting on X, TheBanker’sMirror (@bankaffairs) has stated. “Petrol, diesel ban on old vehicles in Delhi started from yesterday (July 1). Polluted Policies and Not Just Polluted Air, right ? We pay EMIs for 7 years, Maintain the car like family, Use it barely 10 years… And then? Govt says: Scrap it. No check. No resale. No value. Just crushed — like our savings and dreams. Pollution isn’t just from fuel. It’s also from policies that ignore the common man.
What are the alternate options?
NCR residents face two tough choices for end-of-life vehicles. First, obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to re-register diesel (over 10 years) or petrol (over 15 years) vehicles in states where they’re still legal, boosting resale value. Second, scrap the vehicle at a registered facility and seek a road tax refund, a process mired in complex paperwork, bureaucratic red tape, and low transparency, often resulting in minimal refunds.