The Union government has apprised the Supreme Court that it would give permission to enter Delhi from November 1 to only those vehicles, including electric goods vehicles (light, medium and heavy), which are complaint with either BS-VI, CNG or LNG.
Appearing for the Union of India, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati further informed the Bench of Justice Abhay S. Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan on Tuesday about the steps and measures being taken by the Union government to phase out end-of-life vehicles and transition to cleaner fuel technologies.
The Apex Court was hearing a petition related to air pollution in Delhi NCR from various sources such as vehicular pollution.
Amicus Curiae Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh informed the court that the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has filed a positive affidavit on measures to tackle vehicular pollution.
ASG Bhati took the Court through CAQM’s directions regarding restrictions on vehicle entry into Delhi (Direction 88) and phasing out of end-of-life vehicles (Direction 89), as well as Union of India’s measures to transition to cleaner fuel technologies.
She informed the court that from 1st November 2025, there will be no entry of Light Goods Vehicles (LGVs), Medium Goods Vehicles (MGVs), and Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) other than BS-VI compliant CNG, LNG, and Electric Vehicles (EVs) into Delhi, except for vehicles registered in Delhi.
She further added that non-BS VI compliant commercial transport vehicles carrying essential goods and services will be allowed entry into Delhi only until 31st October 2026. After that, only CNG, LNG, and EVs will be permitted.
“No entry of LGVs, MGVs, and HGVs other than BS6 CNG, LNG and EVs into Delhi from 1st November 2025 except vehicles registered in Delhi. Non BS6 complaint transport commercial goods vehicles carrying essential commodities shall be permitted to enter Delhi only for a limited period up to 31st October 2026 beyond which all such services shall also be catered only through CNG, LNG and EVs”, she said.
Addressing the issue of end-of-life vehicles, i.e., diesel vehicles above 10 years old and petrol vehicles above 15 years, Bhati highlighted direction 89 issued by the CAQM. She informed the court that 61 lakh overage vehicles are still present in Delhi, 27 lakh in Haryana, 12 lakh in Uttar Pradesh, and 6 lakh in Rajasthan.
To tackle this, Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera system installed at fuel stations will read number plates and deny fuel to such vehicles. These vehicles, identified through number plate recognition cameras or other systems at fuel stations, will not be allowed refuelling, she said. Traffic police and integrated command control centres will also assist in taking action against these vehicles. However, these directions will not apply to vehicles that are exempted under specific court directions or by law.
“All EoL vehicles identified through the ANPR cameras or other such systems installed at the fuel pump stations shall be denied fueling w.e.f. 0l.07.2025 in the NCT of Delhi, w.e.f. 01.11.2025 in 5 HVD districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar and Sonipat and w.e.f. 01.04.2026 in the rest of NCR. Immediate legal action should be taken in respect of such EoL vehicles, including impounding and further disposal in accordance with RVSF Rules, 202l and other extant policies of the respective State Governments and the GNCTD”, the CAQM has directed.
Bhati took the court through CAQM Advisory no. 17 which highlighted that action points have been laid down for the states and the Union government, including the amendment or notification of EV policies by all NCR states, setting targets, and defining incentive and funding strategies for expanding EV adoption and charging infrastructure. CAQM has advised that government bodies, PSUs, and public institutions in the NCR lead by example and take policy steps to shift to clean fuel vehicles such as EVs, CNG, strong hybrid electric vehicles, and flex fuel vehicles with higher ethanol blending.
“the Commission desires that the Governments, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and Public Institutions in Delhi-NCR may take a lead in this context and initiate policy measures / actions for transition to the cleaner mode vehicles viz. BEV / CNG / CBG / Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicles (SHEV)/ Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFV) with higher ethanol blending (E85/E100) / Flex Fuel Strong Hybrid Vehicles (FFV-SHEV) and mandate future purchase and hiring/ leasing of only such cleaner mode vehicles”, the CAQM has stated.
She added that the Ministry of Finance has issued an office memorandum encouraging government departments to switch from petrol and diesel vehicles to electric ones for leased or hired official use. Ministries and departments have been advised to aim for full replacement of petrol and diesel cars with electric cars.
Bhati also told the court that the government is working to create an ecosystem that supports the adoption of electric mobility across the country. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has notified industry standards for aspects such as safety, range, power, and model approval to promote EV manufacturing.
She also submitted that in the Ministry of Heavy Industries, a good percentage of vehicles hired in the last two years are electric cars. She said that the Department of Expenditure would conduct an exercise with all Central Government ministries and PSUs to assess current vehicle requirements and identify steps to accelerate EV use, especially in Delhi NCR.
Justice Oka asked Bhati and Singh to address the Court on the next date on what directions can be issued for implementation at the grassroots level. He pointed out the past implementation of GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan) when vehicle entry bans had caused chaos at entry points.
The Court recorded that it has taken on record two documents: a brief note on the measures taken by CAQM and an index of relevant Office Memorandums and data related to electric vehicle use by government authorities. The court noted that Directions 88 and 89 issued by CAQM on 23rd April 2025 are a welcome step in the right and positive direction. The court said it would issue directions for their implementation. In the meantime, it directed all state governments and public authorities represented before the court to place on record the data on EVs hired or purchased by them during the last five years.