'Indeed a stupid rule': Startup founder slams Delhi's new rule banning fuel for older vehicles

A sweeping fuel ban on older vehicles came into effect across Delhi on July 1, triggering a wave of public backlash from car owners and market voices alike.

"This scrapping of fit cars is indeed a stupid rule," wrote Alok Jain on X, founder of Weekendinvesting, reacting sharply to Delhi’s latest fuel ban on older vehicles.

His post, which gained traction on Monday, captured a growing frustration among car owners after the city enforced a sweeping policy that bars end-of-life vehicles, diesel cars over 10 years and petrol ones over 15, from refuelling at any fuel station in the capital, regardless of their registration origin.

"This scrapping of fit cars is indeed a stupid rule," wrote Alok Jain, founder of Weekendinvesting, reacting sharply to Delhi’s latest fuel ban on older vehicles.

“I too witnessed the same. Sold an 18k km run car for a pittance,” Jain posted on X. While calling the rule “stupid,” he added, “At end of the day you have to live by the laws of the land. One cannot compare everything with returns. Money will not go with you.”

Jain’s post came in response to another viral reaction by trader Sarang Sood, who wrote: “Bought a luxury car in 2015 for ₹45L. Sold it recently for ₹4.7L in fine condition because of this rule… Even a nearby plot would’ve grown to ₹10Cr. Cars are one of the worst-performing ‘assets’ you can own, especially in India. The shine of luxury fades, but the cost of missed opportunities compounds quietly.”

The new policy

The strong reactions follow the July 1 rollout of the Commission for Air Quality Management’s (CAQM) enforcement of the Supreme Court’s ban on ageing vehicles. According to officials, all fuel stations across Delhi have now been instructed to deny fuel to such vehicles. A network of enforcement teams from Delhi Police, Traffic Police, the Transport Department, and MCD has been mobilised across 350 stations to implement the ban.

Each site will have traffic police officers present, while 59 teams from the Transport Department will oversee compliance at designated fuel stations. The Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation has also activated Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to flag non-compliant vehicles using the Vahan database.

Once detected, such vehicles will be impounded on the spot and a challan will be issued. Stations that continue to supply fuel to banned vehicles could face penalties under Section 192 of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Starting November 1, the rule will also be extended to five NCR districts—Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Noida, and Sonipat.