Installation of cameras to detect overage vehicles at Delhi petrol pumps almost done: Govt officials

The installation of smart cameras at the refuelling stations in Delhi to detect overage vehicles is almost done. The petrol vehicles aged more than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years will be denied fuel in Delhi from the beginning of July 2025. Ahead of that, the refuelling stations across the city have been installing the cameras that will aid the staffs to detect overage vehicles.

In April this year, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) directed authorities in Delhi to deny fuel to all the end-of-life (EoL) vehicles from July 1. This means, the owners of diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles aged more than 15 years, will not be able to purchase fuel from the Delhi refuelling stations from July 1. According to the order, all fuel stations in Delhi must install automated number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras by June 30. These systems will detect the overage petrol and diesel vehicles.

Following the order of the CAQM, in a public notice, the transport department of Delhi government said that violating vehicles identified through ANPR cameras installed at fuel stations across Delhi or through any other monitoring mechanism, shall be denied fuel, besides other legal actions under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1989. "Get a No Objection Certificate from the transport department to take EoL vehicles outside NCR or scrap such vehicles at any RVSF," it further said.

The CAQM order came in line with a 2018 Supreme Court ruling that banned diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years in Delhi. A 2014 National Green Tribunal order also prohibited parking of vehicles aged over 15 years in public areas across the city.

Now, a PTI report has quoted a government officialfrom the Delhi transport department, saying that the work to install ANPR camera has almost been completed. The report further quoted him saying that only 10-15 refuelling stations are left where ANPR cameras have to be installed. "We are installing cameras at all petrol pumps and CNG stations," he reportedly added. Incidentally, there are around 400 petrol pumps and around 160 CNG pumps in the national capital.

However, the report has revealed an operational challenge of the system as well. It quoted a representative from the Delhi Petrol Dealers' Association saying that the government is installing ANPR cameras, but there are some logistical issues. "The cameras have been installed, and there is a speaker machine which reads out the number plate of the overage vehicles. But by the time the number is read out, the vehicle has already been provided with fuel. We will have a meeting with the transport department this week to discuss these issues," the representative added.

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