Will appeal to SC for uniform vehicle age rules nationwide, says Delhi CM Rekha Gupta

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated Sunday that her administration will appeal to the Supreme Court to implement uniform regulations for overage vehicles in the capital, aligning with standards followed across India.

The announcement follows last week’s formal request by the Delhi government to the Centre’s Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). Officials urged the panel to suspend an immediate fuel ban on end-of-life vehicles, pledging “all-out efforts” to address restrictions on such vehicles’ movement in Delhi.

In a letter to CAQM Chairman Rajesh Verma, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa emphasized that the fuel prohibition is technologically unfeasible and impractical to enforce.

Speaking to reporters during an event, CM Gupta clarified the state’s position: “We will present Delhi’s pollution control measures before the Supreme Court. Parameters applicable nationally should extend to Delhi, ensuring no undue hardship for residents.”

Gupta reiterated her government’s commitment to public relief. The push for revised rules references a 2018 Supreme Court ban on diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years in Delhi, alongside a 2014 National Green Tribunal (NGT) order prohibiting public parking of vehicles aged over 15 years.