Supreme Court Upholds Diesel and Petrol Vehicle Ban in NCR

The Supreme Court refused to consider a plea against the ban on older diesel and petrol vehicles in the Delhi-NCR region. The bench advised challenging the guidelines through separate proceedings and suggested the applicant could pursue further legal action if dissatisfied with future authority decisions.

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea challenging the ban on diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years in the Delhi-NCR region. A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih stated that the guidelines issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) cannot be contested via an interim application in a pending case.

The court clarified that challenges to such guidelines should be initiated through independent proceedings. Consequently, the application was allowed to be withdrawn by the applicant, who was directed to communicate directly with the respective authority for challenges or clarification regarding these guidelines.

The bench further assured that should the authority issue an unfavorable decision, the applicant has the liberty to challenge it legally. The guidelines under dispute were established by the NGT, enforcing a scrappage policy for vehicles based on age rather than condition or compliance with emission standards.

(With inputs from agencies.)