Petrol and diesel vehicles will soon be a rare sight on the roads of Delhi-NCR. The central government is working on a new policy to tackle the severe air pollution problem, which will incentivize the adoption of battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs), hybrids, and CNG vehicles.
Diesel Petrol Vehicle Ban: To mitigate the growing pollution levels in Delhi-NCR, the central government is developing an ambitious plan. This plan aims to gradually phase out petrol and diesel vehicles, promoting battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs), hybrids, and CNG vehicles. The government intends to restrict new vehicle registrations to EVs, CNG, or hybrid vehicles only. Simultaneously, older petrol and diesel vehicles will be phased out.
What is the government's plan?
The government aims to register only clean-fuel buses in Delhi after 2025. The deadline for three-wheelers and light commercial vehicles may be set between 2026 and 2027. Taxis will be given a slightly longer timeframe for the transition. Registration of private cars and two-wheelers will be based on cleaner fuels (EVs/CNG/flexi-fuel/blended fuel, etc.) between 2030 and 2035.
According to the government's plan, Delhi will be the first to implement the new rules. This will be followed by areas with higher vehicle density, such as Gurugram, Gautam Budh Nagar, and Ghaziabad, and then extended to other NCR districts. Older petrol and diesel vehicles will be gradually phased out. A significant contributor to pollution is road dust. To address this, approximately 2,000 kilometers of roads will be reconstructed. Along with greening and paving, mechanical sweepers, anti-smog guns, and water-sprinkling machines will be procured.
What do the officials say?
A senior official stated that the central government is in discussions with various ministries and automobile companies to reduce pollution in Delhi-NCR. The government believes that promoting electric and CNG vehicles can improve air quality. The government plans to restrict the entry of commercial vehicles with emission standards below BS VI into Delhi. Work on this could commence within the next year.
Delhi-NCR residents will need to gradually prepare to replace their petrol and diesel vehicles. This government plan will directly impact those still using conventional fuel vehicles. However, sufficient time will be provided before the new policy's implementation to allow people to adapt to the changes.
