Diesel car owners in Delhi are facing a harsh reality: they’re paying for 15 years of road tax but can only drive their vehicles for 10. This costly predicament stems from a legal clash between national vehicle registration norms (15 years) and a Delhi-specific ban on diesel vehicles older than 10 years, imposed by the National Green Tribunal and upheld by the Supreme Court to combat air pollution.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Many new car buyers are blindsided, realizing only after purchase that their diesel vehicles will be rendered illegal in Delhi after a decade, despite having paid a one-time road tax calculated for 15 years. Adding to the problem, from July 1, 2025, fuel stations in Delhi will be prohibited from selling fuel to diesel vehicles older than 10 years, effectively making them useless in the capital.
What are your options if you own an affected diesel car?
- Transfer your vehicle: You can apply for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to move your car to a state where older diesel vehicles are still permitted.
- Scrap your vehicle and seek a refund: While you can scrap your car at a registered facility and apply for a refund of the unused road tax, this process is known to be manual, paperwork-heavy, and far from transparent.
This situation highlights a significant structural contradiction: national taxation policies haven’t caught up with Delhi’s environmental regulations. As a result, diesel car owners in Delhi are essentially losing one-third of their investment due to a local rule many weren’t warned about when they made their purchase.
