THE SUPREME COURT TODAY DIRECTED that no coercive action be taken against owners of diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles over 15 years old in the National Capital Region (NCR).
A Bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, and Justices K Vinod Chandran and N.V. Anjaria issued notice to the Centre and the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on a Delhi government plea challenging the blanket ban on such vehicles.
The matter will be heard again after four weeks.
“Earlier, one used to use cars for 40-50 years. Even now, vintage cars are there,” Justice Gavai observed during the hearing.
The Delhi government has sought recall of the Court’s October 29, 2018, order upholding the National Green Tribunal’s directive imposing the age-based ban on diesel and patrol vehicles
In its petition, the Delhi government said a comprehensive policy is required to address pollution in Delhi-NCR, with vehicle fitness based on actual emission levels using scientific methods, rather than a blanket ban solely on age. It called for a study by the Centre and CAQM to assess whether age-based restrictions offer real environmental benefits compared to emission-based criteria.
The plea argued that after 2018, stricter emission monitoring and wider pollution testing coverage have been implemented, making an age-based ban unnecessary. It urged that restrictions should be linked to emissions, not the age of the vehicle.
In April 2015, the NGT ordered that diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years be barred from plying in Delhi-NCR to curb rising air pollution. This was challenged before the Supreme Court, which on October 29, 2018, upheld the NGT’s directive, calling it a necessary measure in view of the deteriorating air quality. The Court directed enforcement of the ban through registration authorities and police, leading to impounding of over-aged vehicles in the region.
