Latest news with #DPDA
New Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Automotive
- New Indian Express
Ahead of ban on fuel supply to overage vehicles, petrol dealers rue lack of support
NEW DELHI: With the July 1 deadline for the ban on refueling end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) fast approaching, petrol pump dealers in the national capital have raised serious concerns over the lack of clarity and support from the government regarding the directive's implementation. In a strongly worded letter to the Transport Department, the Delhi Petrol Dealers Association (DPDA) has questioned the absence of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and stated that the burden of enforcement cannot be shifted to fuel station operators. The dealers argue that while the government's directive mandates strict action against ELVs, including impounding and disposal, it fails to designate petrol stations as implementing agencies. They point out that the Essential Commodities Act prohibits fuel stations from refusing service to customers. 'It creates a legal contradiction that will put dealers in an impossible position,' said Nischal Singhania, president of the DPDA. In their letter, the dealers expressed growing anxiety over the lack of formal guidelines and institutional support. They warn that without proper enforcement protocols, the ban could lead to confusion and risky confrontations at fuel stations.
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Fuel ban for old vehicles from July 1: Delhi pump owners seek police protection; fear backlash, chaos
NEW DELHI: Petrol pump owners in the city have written to the Delhi govt requesting the deployment of police or civil defence personnel at fuel stations from July 1, when the rule of no fuel to end-of-life vehicles kicks in. The petrol pump owners said their attendants were not equipped to deal with ugly situations where the vehicle owners forced them to refuel the vehicles. They also feared that the sales would shift to neighbouring towns if the rule was not implemented simultaneously across the national capital region. In a letter to Delhi transport minister Pankaj Kumar Singh, the Delhi Petrol Dealers Association (DPDA) pointed out that consumers have resisted fuel attendants performing such roles in the past, leading to confrontations. tnn In a letter to Delhi transport minister Pankaj Kumar Singh, the Delhi Petrol Dealers Association added that a pump attendant was shot at in the neighbouring Ghaziabad a few years ago when he refused petrol to "helmetless" bikers. The transport minister could not be contacted for a comment. As per the recent directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management, all end-of-life (EOL) vehicles will be denied fuel in Delhi from July 1 and will be subjected to actions such as deregistration, impounding, and scrapping. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo Around 100 teams of traffic and transport department officials will be deployed to flag down EOL vehicles -petrol vehicles aged 15 years or older and diesel vehicles aged 10 years or older - and all 520 fuel stations in the city will be equipped with technology to identify them. India currently adheres to Bharat Stage VI, or BS VI, emission norms for vehicular fuels, but there are old cars that still run on BS-II and BS-III standards. Police's job to enforce rules, not ours: Fuel station operators In his letter to the transport minister, DPDA president Nischal Singhania said their association consistently supported efforts to improve air quality in Delhi and the national capital region and facilitated the installation of Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras in collaboration with the special commissioner of transport at retail outlets to monitor vehicles on Delhi's roads. He, however, added that the responsibility to enforce the Motor Vehicles Act, 1989, and related rules lay with the department of transport and Delhi Police, and should remain with these authorities, and not the fuel station operators. Singhania also pointed out that no standard operating procedure on the enforcement of the rule had so far been shared with the petrol pump dealers by the relevant authorities. "Under the Essential Commodities Act, petrol pump dealers are prohibited from denying fuel to any customer, creating a conflict with the directive," Singhania said. While the new rule will initially be restricted to the national capital territory of Delhi, DPDA also called for its NCR-wide implementation, emphasising that pollution did not follow geographical boundaries. "Delaying the implementation in NCR would shift the sales to adjoining cities rather than remove EOL vehicles from the roads," Singhania said. He also said that the transport department's order of May 13 placed an undue burden on petrol pump dealers for implementing the rule by proposing penal actions against them, including arrest, for non-compliance, which was "neither practical nor acceptable". "Such measures would not only disrupt essential services but would also make this scheme a non-starter," Singhania said.
Hindustan Times
9 hours ago
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Delhi: Dealers flag concerns for own safety while enforcing fuel ban on ELVs
The Delhi Petrol Dealers Association (DPDA) on Monday expressed concerns over the Commission for Air Quality Management's (CAQM) 'No Fuel to End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs)' directive, set to be implemented in Delhi from July 1. In a letter to the Ministry of Transport, the DPDA has demanded clarity on enforcement, protection for staff, and the withdrawal of penal provisions on petrol dealers. The directive, announced in March, prohibits petrol stations in Delhi from dispensing fuel to ELVs vehicles from July 1. (HT Archive) The directive, announced in March, prohibits petrol stations in Delhi from dispensing fuel to ELVs vehicles from July 1. The rule will be expanded to five high vehicle-density districts — Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, and Sonipat — from November 1 and across the rest of the National Capital Region (NCR) from April 1, 2026. To be sure, according to CAQM, if a vehicle exceeds the permissible limit—10 years for diesel and 15 years for petrol—it is flagged as an ELV. The association flagged that this directive conflicts with the Essential Commodities Act, under which fuel cannot be denied to customers. 'Fuel pump attendants are not equipped to act as enforcement officers. Their doing so could lead to confrontation,' the letter said, citing a 2014 incident in Ghaziabad where a fuel attendant was shot for denying fuel under a helmet mandate. DPDA has requested deployment of police or civil defence personnel at fuel stations to enforce the directive safely. 'The provision for penal actions, including arresting dealers or pump attendants for non-compliance, is neither practical nor acceptable. Such measures would not only disrupt essential services but would also make this scheme a non-starter,' the letter stated. The association also noted the absence of a standard operating procedure (SOP) and criticised the phased rollout. 'Delaying the implementation in NCR would shift the sales to adjoining cities rather than removeELVs from the roads,' they said, calling for uniform implementation across NCR. The DPDA highlighted that enforcement of the Motor Vehicles Act lies with the Delhi Police and Transport Department, not petrol pump workers. They have requested an urgent meeting with the ministry before July 1 to discuss their demands. HT reached out to CAQM for a comment, but did not receive any at the time of going to print.
