Have A Two-wheeler Over 15 Years Old? You May Not Be Allowed To Refuel
Refuelling of ‘overage’ vehicles to be denied in Delhi, hi-tech cameras to be installed throughout the city to enforce the rule
Quick Highlights:
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No fuel for ‘overage’ vehicles in Delhi from July 1, 2025
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Valid for both, petrol and diesel vehicles, more than 15 and 10 years old respectively
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This rule will be applicable for vehicles registered in any part of the country
Multiple attempts are being made on a daily basis to keep Delhi’s poor air quality index in check. Now, CAQM (Commission For Air Quality Management) has announced that any petrol vehicle over 15 years of age and diesel vehicle over 10 years of age, will not be allowed to refuel in Delhi, from July 1, 2025.
According to CAQM, there are over 62 lakh ‘overage’ vehicles in Delhi, and out of these, 41 lakh are two-wheelers. This number is quite high, and to make it easier to detect such vehicles, around 500 fuel stations have installed ANPR (Automated Number Plate Recognition) cameras. These camera setups are directly linked with the Vahan database and will detect older vehicles with ease.
Other high density cities around Delhi (Gurugram, Sonipat, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar) have also been ordered to get these ANPR cameras installed by October 31, 2025, and the remaining districts by March, 2026. Authorities have been ordered to take immediate legal actions, including impounding and scrapping such vehicles under Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility (RVSF) rule. As of now, there are no options to obtain NOC (No Objection Certificate) to use old Delhi-registered vehicles outside Delhi.
In Delhi, the number of overage two-wheelers is quite high, and a lot of people are solely dependent on these old two-wheelers for their livelihood. With the deadline falling just about a week from now, the time left for citizens to comply with the ruling is too short. Two-wheeler riders will have no choice but to buy new ones, or purchase a second-hand two-wheeler that’s not 15 years old.
That said, even the cheapest bike in India, the Hero HF100 costs around Rs 59,018 (ex-showroom), which is a lot of money for an individual to invest on a two-wheeler on such a short notice. Another option would be to purchase an electric two-wheeler. That said, the cheapest EVs in India are low-speed Chinese electric scooters that are either sold as a whole or are assembled in India. A spike in such low-quality low-speed EVs will also be a point of major safety concern. Either way, brands are also unlikely to be prepared to handle such a huge uptick in demand in such a short notice.
This move comes just after the planned Delhi EV Policy 2.0, which proposes a complete ban of registration of petrol and CNG-powered two-wheelers from August 15, 2026. As of now, we can only wait and witness how the rule will affect Indian families once it comes to action.