The Supreme Court of India has agreed to hear a plea seeking permission to allow BS-VI compliant vehicles to operate in the Delhi-NCR region, even after they reach their end-of-life period. According to existing rules, diesel vehicles are banned after 10 years and petrol vehicles after 15 years of use. The application argues that vehicles adhering to the latest BS-VI emission standards should be exempted from this blanket restriction.
On Thursday, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran agreed to list the matter for hearing on the upcoming Monday. This followed an urgent mentioning by a counsel who stated that intervention from the top court was required since the restrictions were originally imposed through judicial orders.
"A direction from this Hon’ble Court is essential to permit BS-VI compliant vehicles to continue operations, despite crossing the standard age limits,” the counsel told the bench.
The background of this legal issue traces back to 2015, when the National Green Tribunal (NGT) passed an order banning diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years in the Delhi-NCR region to tackle the alarming pollution levels. This direction was later upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
The plea has gained significance in light of a recent order by the Delhi Government, which directed that no fuel should be supplied to end-of-life vehicles at petrol stations starting July 1, 2025. However, this controversial order was temporarily suspended following strong public opposition.
The original age restrictions were “set with a different environmental context in mind,” the applicant contends, adding that modern BS-VI vehicles are designed to emit significantly lower pollutants and should not be treated under the same blanket ban.
The upcoming hearing is expected to explore whether BS-VI compliant vehicles, despite being beyond their age limits, can be granted permission to continue plying on the roads in view of their improved emission control technologies.