Could I please have my Thar back—if not an Ambassador?

Mint

31-07-2025

My biggest loss since returning to India has been that of my beloved Thar. I had to give up this handsome whale of a car, inspired by the Jeep Wrangler, some years ago, and not because it was unfit for its purpose. Rather, it was because of a bizarre rule that places a cap of 10 years on the life of all vehicles running on diesel and 15 years on those powered by petrol in Delhi. Beyond those years, the vehicle, even if found parked on the road, will be seized and sent packing to the scrap yard. The ban was passed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2014 and upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
It was a brutal setback to me, an expat trying to settle back down in the city I had grown up in and continue to love. I originally wanted an Ambassador, but this car had been phased out. The Thar served me well. It stoutly carried me up and down the mountains of north India without so much as a whimper. Twice it defended me physically, including once when a cab rammed into the back of this four-wheeled iron fortress at great speed, with injuries only to the assailant. Seldom did it break down.
Also Read: Traffic penalties based on income levels would be both effective and equitable
But the Delhi stricture on allegedly aged vehicles meant that I had to sell off my prized possession well before its time. Note that I could have happily driven it around in any state unencumbered by such regulation. I consoled myself on the grounds that, personally, I would be less responsible for the vehicular emissions that were bringing the world to the brink.
But, of course, age-barring vehicles is a misguided policy that is quite rightly being challenged by the Delhi government.
Curiously, alternatives have long existed. For close to three decades in the UK, I drove petrol and hybrid cars of myriad make and model that were sometimes many years old and sometimes new. I was able to enjoy running those cars in the UK and across Europe because local laws allowed me to do so. Those regulations are more relevant than ever to India, a car market that is expected to enlarge along with the economy.
The original NGT ruling said, 'All vehicles, diesel or petrol, which are more than 15 years old shall not be permitted to ply on the roads and wherever such vehicles of this age are noticed, the concerned authorities shall take appropriate steps in accordance with law, including seizure of the vehicles in accordance with the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act."
Also Read: Encouraging hybrid vehicles will make climate change harder to fight
UK regulation, on the other hand, stipulates an annual MOT (ministry of transport) test for your car—a system run by a fleet of more than 23,500 garages and some 66,000 mechanics authorized by the government to carry out stringent tests of roadworthiness. You pay a nominal fee for the test and, of course, for any labour or car parts needed. Your car will be tested for just about everything: from brakes, steering, visibility, lamps, reflectors, electrical equipment, axles, wheels, tyres, suspension, body structure, attachments, seat belts, doors and mirrors to something called 'nuisance' (noise and emission).
The key to this whole exercise is a chain of trust starting with a qualification test for the mechanic. It's not as if this system is immune to fraud: a recent scandal involving fake tests and certificates ('ghost MOT') has prompted the UK government to propose that garages upload photos of the candidate car in a testing bay along with its number plate and chassis number.
There is no age limit on vehicles. In fact, if your car is more than 40 years old, it may be exempt from an MOT test. But you must ensure that it is well maintained and roadworthy.
Similarly, the European Commission proposes an annual check on all vehicles that are more than 10 years old. Its main goal is to reduce deaths and serious injuries from traffic accidents to zero by 2050.
Also Read: CAFE puzzle: Tailpipes must not get to wag India's car market
Of course, India's densely polluted cities do need to address emissions, particularly from dirty old vehicles, but policy must be evidence-based. That is what Delhi's chief minister Rekha Gupta is calling for in her government's legal challenge of the NGT ruling. A balance must be struck between our need to breathe safely and this city's insatiable hunger for cars. More high-end cars may hit Delhi's roads (which need repair too, please) once the UK-India free trade agreement swings into action. These cars will last long and their owners may want to drive in them for longer.
Owning a car in India once meant it was a lifetime asset. A friend's 15-year-old Wagon-R in excellent condition got towed away, he says—without so much as a by-your-leave—by a gang of men hired by the municipal corporation. 'They were enjoying themselves so much it reminded me of snatchers in the Harry Potter books who got rewarded for rounding up muggles."
Also Read: Stuck in first gear: Take a close look at what ails car sales in India
Gupta is right to emphasize fitness over age. We are not a throwaway people; we like to save money and cling to things, and we savour experiences like the freedom of a car ride. A TV set or car is a relationship. Almost human, all it needs is an annual once-over, easily done if the city's eager 24x7 service economy is given the foundational strength of quality and trust.
The author is a former European and UK correspondent for the Hindustan Times.