New Delhi, August 12(HS): In a major reprieve for owners of older vehicles in the capital region, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered that no immediate ban be imposed on diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles over 15 years old in Delhi-NCR.

The apex court issued notice to the Centre, giving it four weeks to respond to a fresh petition filed by the Delhi government, which is seeking a review of the Court’s 2018 order upholding the National Green Tribunal’s age-based ban on older vehicles.

In its plea, the Delhi government contends that such blanket, age-based restrictions should be replaced with scientific, emissions-based standards. The petition argues that a vehicle’s pollution impact depends more on its maintenance, usage, and actual emission levels than on its age. It calls for standardized testing to measure emissions and determine roadworthiness, rather than using arbitrary age thresholds.

The Delhi government has also urged the Court to direct the Commission for Air Quality Management to undertake a comprehensive study comparing the effectiveness of age-based bans versus emissions-based vehicle fitness policies. Such a study, it says, will establish whether the current practice genuinely delivers better air quality results.

This intervention temporarily pauses the enforcement of the 2018 directive — which had prohibited the use of diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years in the region — and opens the door for what could be a more nuanced, evidence-driven approach to tackling vehicular pollution in one of the world’s most polluted urban areas.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar