The Delhi government is gearing up to roll out its much-anticipated plan to ban fuel sales to end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) within the next two weeks, as per the officials familiar with the development. The initiative is part of a broader effort to combat vehicular pollution in the capital.
As per officials, 485 out of 500 fuel stations across Delhi, including both petrol and CNG outlets, have already been equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras. These systems are crucial for identifying vehicles that have exceeded their permissible age for road use. Only 15 fuel stations are yet to complete the installation process.
“Once the remaining stations are fully equipped, the scheme will be activated,” said a senior Delhi government official on condition of anonymity. He added that the government is also awaiting a final nod from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), the statutory body overseeing pollution control in the National Capital Region.
Initially slated for implementation on April 1, the plan was temporarily delayed due to logistical issues, primarily the incomplete setup of tracking infrastructure.
Under the new mechanism, ANPR-enabled CCTV cameras will scan vehicle number plates at the entry points of fuel stations. These will be cross-referenced with the mParivahan database to detect vehicles that have surpassed their legal age limit. If flagged as an ELV, the system will notify station operators to deny fuel service to that vehicle.
The policy will apply universally to all vehicles, regardless of which state they are registered in, as long as they attempt to refuel at any station within Delhi.
