Delhi’s Vehicle Age Ban Under Fire as RTI Confirms No New Pollution Study

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has confirmed, in a Right to Information (RTI) response, that it has conducted no independent scientific survey or pollution impact test before imposing the ban on diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles over 15 years old in Delhi-NCR.

Also Read: Delhi Rolls Out Fuel Ban for Older Cars—Is Your Vehicle Affected?

The July 28, 2025, response was given to Delhi dweller Amit Gupta and explained that the prohibition was not an initiative of the CAQM but a follow-up compliance action based on earlier judicial directions, namely, the National Green Tribunal's (NGT) order in Vardhman Kaushik Vs. Union of India & Ors. and the Supreme Court's judgment in M.C. Mehta Vs. Union of India & Ors.

Delhi Government Appeals to Supreme Court to Review Ban 

The RTI reply also referred to a July 3, 2025, letter to the Supreme Court from the Government of NCT Delhi. In it, the government of Delhi asked the Supreme Court to reconsider the ban, stating that the matter should once again be taken up, considering its impact on the people. The letter was attached to the RTI reply.

Also Read: Delhi CM Rekha Gupta Urges Supreme Court to Review Ban on End-of-Life Vehicles

This request highlights the state government's recognition that across-the-board age-based restrictions have been a contested issue, specifically for transport operators and car owners who feel well-kept older cars are being unfairly penalised despite their actual emissions. 

Legal Compliance Over Scientific Validation 

CAQM levying the age ban is only based on court orders and not based on any new data or studies carried out by the Commission. This has been criticised based on its evading receiving new, localised research, which could usher in more focused, effective action against vehicle pollution.

Also Read: Your EV May Run Beyond 15 Years; Government Plans Big Reform for Owners

Environmental scientists have argued for many years that the factor of emissions is more a function of maintenance, fuel quality, and driving habits rather than age. They also warn that without scientific support, the policies might end up focusing on convenient and accessible targets to govern while giving lesser attention to other significant sources of pollution like industrial discharges, dust from construction sites, and crop stubble burning.

A Policy Under Scrutiny 

The vehicle ban based on age, implemented for decades, is probably the most contentious policy in Delhi-NCR's anti-pollution regime. While designed to limit motor vehicle emissions, its implementation has been the cause of legal controversies, street demonstrations, and calls for reform.

Also Read: Supreme Court to Hear Crucial Plea on End-of-Life Limits for BS VI Vehicles in NCR

For now, CAQM has shelved the RTI appeal, with the provision that aggrieved citizens can appeal within 30 days to the First Appellate Authority, the Director in CAQM. With the Delhi government's appeal before the Supreme Court now under the spotlight, the policy's fate may lie in whether India's highest court decides to overrule the move. 

Broader Context: Delhi-NCR Pollution Problem 

Delhi continues to be one of the world's most polluted capitals, and governments and courts have employed aggressive pollution-control measures in recent years, from odd-even curbs on driving to curbs on construction. One of the most sweeping but contentious ones is the vehicle age ban, now that its lack of recent scientific support can no longer be hidden.