Supreme Court Halts Action Against 'End Of Life' Vehicle Owners In Delhi-NCR

The Supreme Court has granted interim protection to owners of ‘end‑of‑life’ vehicles in Delhi‑NCR, directing that no coercive measures be taken for now against diesel cars older than 10 years and petrol cars older than 15 years, while the court re‑examines the decade‑old age‑cap framework in four weeks.

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Diesel cars older than 10 years were banned from Delhi-NCR in a bid to cut air pollution.

A bench led by the Chief Justice told the government not to punish people or seize their vehicles only because of age limits (10 years for diesel, 15 years for petrol) until the next hearing. This follows a request from the Delhi government to change the 2018 order that had banned such old vehicles, based on earlier directions from the National Green Tribunal (NGT).The NGT had banned these older vehicles in 2015 to fight severe air pollution.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had ordered that “end‑of‑life” vehicles should not be given fuel. After problems were pointed out like delays in setting up camera systems, coordination issues with nearby states, and fears that people will get fuel outside Delhi, CAQM changed the start dates.

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Now, the fuel ban will begin on November 1, 2025, in Delhi and five high‑vehicle‑density NCR districts and extend to the rest of NCR from April 1, 2026.

What’s Next?

The case will be heard again in about four weeks. The court will decide whether to keep the age rule or switch to rules based on emissions and vehicle fitness. Until then, owners of old vehicles are safe from penalties, but the fuel ban will still start as newly planned.