Delhi's new fuel policy is forcing people to buy new cars. It won't reduce pollution
A very close friend's mother calling me up and asking, 'Beta, should we buy a new car?' Let me tell you a bit about aunty—she's a retired government service officer and lives comfortably with her husband on a decent pension in one of those societies in Greater Noida. Other than the twice-a-week run to the shops and the occasional drive to meet friends in Delhi, their 11-year-old Hyundai i10 barely gets used. Yet because of the new fuel policy announced by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta—where older vehicles will not be allowed to refuel, first in Delhi and later across the entire National Capital Region (NCR)—she is genuinely wondering what to do.
Starting 1 July, all end-of-life vehicles (EOL) in the national capital will be denied fuel and can also face deregistration, impounding or scrapping. Reportedly, many Delhi residents have been lining up at car showrooms, panic-buying new vehicles.
There is an old saying in English— 'missing the woods for the trees'. It means getting so focused on the minor details that you overlook the bigger picture. And honestly, this is what I feel about the new 'fuel policy.'
Now, let me make it clear that money is not a problem in this case. This retired couple can easily afford a new car. It is just that they don't see the need for one. And they shouldn't have to. You can think of thousands of cases like this of retired folks with perfectly functional and perfectly maintained vehicles that will now have to be junked because of this new policy. This is a waste of resources. If it is pollution reduction that we are chasing, the policy doesn't consider the massive carbon cost of building a new car from the ground up.
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Delhi's fuel policy gaps
I've read a few arguments in favour of shared mobility. Meanwhile, the state governments like Karnataka are trying to ban it altogether. And honestly, with how expensive and unreliable cabs have become, I've decided I'd rather just drive to the airport and pay the usurious parking fee myself.
The older couples need their own vehicles even more. My mother's 80-plus-year-old friend, who lives by herself, still drives from her apartment in Noida to the Delhi Gymkhana Club once a week. She enjoys driving her little Alto and refuses to hire a driver. When I asked her why, she said it gives her freedom and something to do.
It is frankly ridiculous that lots of barely used and completely functional older cars and motorcycles will be forced to be scrapped due to Delhi's new fuel policy. I'm currently driving through Kerala—which you'll read about next week—and here, it's common to see cars that are 20 years old or more. I've spotted several old Maruti Zens, and even the occasional Ambassador.
The problem in India, though, is that making exceptions will lead to the process being abused. While thousands of old vehicles are functional and adhere to the emission norms from the time they were purchased, it is also true that there are a large number of old vehicles that are in bad shape. So now, the argument being made is that as ridiculous and heavy-handed as this blanket solution is, it's the only one we've got. I don't think so.
In many countries, vehicles are required to go through fitness tests. These can flag even a relatively new car as unfit due to accident damage, while an older vehicle might be in perfectly good shape. Owners should not be punished for maintaining their vehicles well. No doubt, pollution is a problem, but this policy, which directly forces people to buy new vehicles, has not been well thought out.
@kushanmitra is an automotive journalist based in New Delhi. Views are personal.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)
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