The Crossbill News Desk
The Supreme Court on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, granted significant relief to vehicle owners in the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) by issuing an interim order restraining the police and other authorities from taking coercive action against those plying petrol vehicles over 15 years old and diesel vehicles over 10 years old.
The order, passed by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai along with Justices K. Vinod Chandran and N.V. Anjaria, effectively puts on hold the blanket ban imposed by the apex court in October 2018 on vehicles that have crossed these age limits.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Delhi government, pointed out the inconsistency in the ban, noting that while private owners were prohibited from using such vehicles, the same vehicles could continue to operate commercially beyond the 10-year limit. Mehta sought a stay on the 2018 order to prevent the seizure of vehicles by the police, The Hindu reported.
“Over the course of the last seven years, the ban on plying these vehicles, though undoubtedly salutary in aim, was observed to have caused numerous practical hardships to the citizens of Delhi. Today, in light of the advancements in technology and enforcement, these hardships faced by commuters prima facie outweigh the prudence of the ban,” Bhati said.
She said that with advancements in technology and enforcement, the hardships faced by commuters now outweighed the benefits of the blanket prohibition.
Appearing for a senior citizen facing the loss of his car for scrap value, advocate Charu Mathur stressed that roadworthiness should be determined through technical and scientific assessments linked to actual emissions under the Motor Vehicles Act and the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, rather than solely by a vehicle’s age.
Bhati further submitted that a balanced policy could both protect the environment by phasing out polluting vehicles and safeguard the rights of responsible vehicle owners.
After considering the arguments, the bench directed that, until further orders, no coercive steps be taken against owners of diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles over 15 years old in the Delhi NCR.
The order, passed by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai along with Justices K. Vinod Chandran and N.V. Anjaria, effectively puts on hold the blanket ban imposed by the apex court in October 2018 on vehicles that have crossed these age limits.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Delhi government, pointed out the inconsistency in the ban, noting that while private owners were prohibited from using such vehicles, the same vehicles could continue to operate commercially beyond the 10-year limit. Mehta sought a stay on the 2018 order to prevent the seizure of vehicles by the police, The Hindu reported.
“Over the course of the last seven years, the ban on plying these vehicles, though undoubtedly salutary in aim, was observed to have caused numerous practical hardships to the citizens of Delhi. Today, in light of the advancements in technology and enforcement, these hardships faced by commuters prima facie outweigh the prudence of the ban,” Bhati said.
She said that with advancements in technology and enforcement, the hardships faced by commuters now outweighed the benefits of the blanket prohibition.
Appearing for a senior citizen facing the loss of his car for scrap value, advocate Charu Mathur stressed that roadworthiness should be determined through technical and scientific assessments linked to actual emissions under the Motor Vehicles Act and the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, rather than solely by a vehicle’s age.
Bhati further submitted that a balanced policy could both protect the environment by phasing out polluting vehicles and safeguard the rights of responsible vehicle owners.
After considering the arguments, the bench directed that, until further orders, no coercive steps be taken against owners of diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles over 15 years old in the Delhi NCR.
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