Delhi Govt Seeks Supreme Court Review Of Age-Based Vehicle Ban

The Delhi government has approached the Supreme Court seeking a review of the 'End-of-Life-Vehicles' (ELVs) ban. The government argues that it penalises middle-class vehicle owners without any scientific backing. It is to be noted that the government is required to phase out petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years in the national capital region under a 2018 Supreme Court order and a National Green Tribunal follow-up.

Delhi government officials argued that these age-based standards overlook advancements in vehicle emissions technology, especially considering the April 2020 introduction of Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI) standards.

Also Read: Tata Harrier.ev Waiting Period Extends Over 6 Months; Check Details

As per Indian Express, the application filed by Rekha Gupta government said, "the road-worthiness of a vehicle is a technical and scientific issue that must be linked to actual emissions as tested and recorded by mechanisms as set out under the Motor Vehicles Act, the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, etc., as opposed to blanket ban on the basis of age which is unlinked to actual emissions."

Taking the argument further, Environment Minister Majinder Singh Sirsa mentioned that the government's review application emphasizes the need for data-backed assessment, rather than broad limitation, on the actual emissions produced by each vehicle, regardless of its age.

Additionally, the government argues that owners of properly maintained vehicles are unfairly affected by the ban, which is implemented without considering maintenance, usage patterns, or PUC compliance, according to the plea.

The Delhi government's petition highlights that around 2.8 million BS-IV and BS-VI vehicles are registered in the city. It argues that the current age-based ban could exclude compliant vehicles and calls for a scientific analysis by the Commission for Air Quality Management to assess if these bans effectively improve air quality in Delhi-NCR. This comes after a campaign targeting a fuel ban for older cars faced public backlash and was halted due to operational challenges.