Sat Jul 26 07:48:01 UTC 2025: **Summary:**
The Delhi government has challenged the blanket ban on older vehicles (10+ years for diesel, 15+ years for petrol) in the Supreme Court. They argue for a comprehensive pollution policy based on individual vehicle emissions, not just age. The plea suggests a study by the Centre and CAQM to assess the real benefits of age-based restrictions versus emission-based ones. The Supreme Court will hear the plea on July 28, 2025. The original ban stemmed from a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order.
**News Article:**
**Delhi Government Challenges Vehicle Age Ban in Supreme Court**
**New Delhi, July 26, 2025** – The Delhi government has filed a petition with the Supreme Court of India, challenging the existing blanket ban on diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years. The plea argues that a more comprehensive and scientifically-sound approach is needed to tackle pollution in the Delhi-NCR region.
A three-judge Bench, headed by Chief Justice Bhushan R. Gavai, is scheduled to hear the plea on July 28, 2025. The government seeks a recall of the court’s October 29, 2018, order which upheld the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) original directive enforcing the ban.
The petition contends that a policy focusing on individual vehicle emissions, determined through scientific methods, would be more effective than a blanket age-based ban. It suggests that determining vehicle fitness based on actual emission levels as per scientific methods is a more effective approach than a blanket ban based solely on age.
The plea also requests that the Centre and the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) conduct a comprehensive study to assess the actual environmental benefits of the current age-based restrictions compared to emission-based criteria.
The existing ban, stemming from a 2014 NGT order, prohibits vehicles older than 10/15 years old on roads and public areas and also empowers authorities to seize vehicles that violate the rule. The Delhi government’s petition suggests that a blanket ban creates public backlash and poses systemic challenges.
The Supreme Court’s upcoming decision on this case will significantly impact vehicle owners in Delhi-NCR and could potentially reshape the region’s pollution control policies.
First Piper 