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Is your car allowed in Delhi? Know all about vehicle restrictions kicking in from today as AQI remains ‘severe’

By Samira Vishwas

New Delhi: The Delhi government announced stringent measures after the capital’s Air Quality Index (AQI) slipped into the ‘severe’ category this week. The new rules, which come into effect from today (Thursday), will operate alongside Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-4) already imposed by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

Delhi pollution vehicle restrictions

The government has intensified its crackdown on vehicular pollution. Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced that vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate will not be supplied fuel at petrol pumps from Thursday. The PUC certificate is issued after a basic emission test at authorised centres and costs between Rs 60 and Rs 100, depending on the vehicle type. It costs Rs 60 for two- and three-wheelers, Rs 80 for four-wheelers and Rs 100 for diesel vehicles. It remains valid for 12 months for BS-IV and BS-VI compliant vehicles.

Delhi pollution vehicle ban

In addition, trucks carrying construction materials have been barred from entering Delhi. On violation, such vehicles will attract penalties and may be seized, Sirsa said.

Vehicles registered outside the city and falling below BS-VI emission standards will also be denied entry when GRAP Stages 3 and 4 are in effect. Under the new measures, BS-III and BS-IV vehicles from outside Delhi will face entry restrictions as authorities clamp down on pollution caused by old petrol and diesel vehicles. The ban will affect over four lakh vehicles from Noida, around two lakh from Gurgaon and nearly 5.5 lakh from Ghaziabad, particularly commuters driving diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles over 15 years old.

Enforcement teams from the Delhi Traffic Police and transport department will be deployed at petrol pumps and border points to ensure compliance. The government has also announced plans to roll out a carpooling app to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads.

How to check if your car is allowed to enter Delhi?

All new vehicles sold and registered from April 1, 2020, must meet Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI) emission norms. If your car was manufactured in April 2020 or later, it is BS-VI compliant. You can confirm this by checking your vehicle’s Registration Certificate (RC).

Which vehicles can still enter Delhi ?

The restrictions do not apply to BS-VI-compliant vehicles or clean-energy vehicles such as CNG, LNG, electric and hybrid electric models from NCR regions. In addition, BS-IV diesel vehicles are also allowed to enter the national capital.

What are the penalties for vehicle ban violations?

Those violating the rules can be fined up to Rs 20,000 under the Motor Vehicles Act, with repeat offenders facing vehicle seizure.

What happens if you don’t have valid PUC certificate?

Petrol pumps have been instructed to refuse fuel to vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate with immediate effect. Penalties include fines of up to Rs 10,000 and vehicles may be impounded in case of repeat violations.

Work from home

Another key step is a mandatory shift to hybrid work. Delhi labour minister Kapil Mishra said all government and private offices must ensure that only 50 per cent of their staff attend the workplace physically, with the remaining employees working from home. Non-compliance will invite action. However, the order does not apply to emergency and frontline workers, including hospital staff, fire services, sanitation workers, transport services and departments involved in pollution control. Daily-wage labourers are also exempt.

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