Noida, Ghaziabad fuel stations to deny fuel to overaged vehicles from November 1

Time of India

20-05-2025

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GHAZIABAD
: The Regional Transport Office (
RTO
) in Ghaziabad is preparing to install Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at 222 fuel stations across Noida and Ghaziabad—101 in Noida and 121 in Ghaziabad—to identify and restrict the refuelling of End-of-Life (
EOL
) vehicles, in compliance with the directives issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) from Nov 1. These vehicles, defined as petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years, have been identified as major contributors to air pollution in the National Capital Region (
NCR
).
RTO Ghaziabad PK Singh said that the department received the directive from CAQM and is currently working on a detailed report and budget estimate for the proposed installation. 'A decision on who will bear the cost—whether the govt, transport department, or fuel station operators—is yet to be made,' he said. The cameras shall be installed at fuel stations before Oct 31 in the two cities.
The CAQM, in its directive dated April 23, underlined the pressing need to phase out older, highly polluting vehicles, particularly those conforming to outdated BS III and BS II emission standards.
The commission emphasised that these vehicles continue to pose a serious threat to air quality despite earlier rulings and guidelines. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered a ban on diesel vehicles over 10 years and petrol vehicles over 15 years in the NCR as far back as April 7, 2015.
Yet, enforcement has lagged, with data revealing limited action.
Uttar Pradesh
alone has an estimated 12.69 lakh such overaged vehicles as of March 2025.
In Noida, approximately 1.8 lakh EOL vehicles remain on the roads—1.5 lakh petrol vehicles older than 15 years and 30,000 diesel vehicles older than 10 years, while Ghaziabad has around 2.4 lakh such vehicles, including 1.9 lakh petrol and 50,000 diesel units. In comparison, enforcement remains minimal, with only 3,058 EOL vehicles impounded in 2023 and 1,934 in 2024 across the state.
The CAQM has urged NCR states to install ANPR camera systems at fuel stations to monitor non-compliant vehicles. The commission has set deadlines for implementation in Delhi by June 30, 2025, and by Oct 31, 2025, in high vehicle density NCR districts including Ghaziabad,
Gautam Budh Nagar
, Gurugram, Faridabad, and Sonipat, and by April 1 next year in the remaining districts of NCR.
From Nov 1, 2025, fuel stations in these NCR cities will be mandated to deny fuel to EOL vehicles, marking a critical step in the region's battle against vehicular pollution. In Delhi, the fuel to such vehicles will be denied from July 1.
Dharamveer Chaudhury, General Secretary of the
Uttar Pradesh Petroleum Traders Association
, said the transport department has not yet held any discussions with the traders' body. 'The move is positive, but traders alone cannot ensure its enforcement, as customers can sometimes turn aggressive when denied fuel. The transport department and police should convene a meeting with traders to discuss the measures and how they will be implemented,' he said.