Delhi bans non-BS-VI vehicles, fuel ban without PUC from Thursday: What drivers need to know

India’s national capital, New Delhi, has announced stricter vehicle and fuel rules as air pollution in the capital and the National Capital Region (NCR) remains at very poor to severe levels. These measures will come into effect from 18 December 2025.

From Thursday, only BS-VI compliant vehicles coming from outside Delhi will be allowed to enter the city when GRAP-3 and GRAP-4 restrictions are in place. There will be a ban on entry of all BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel vehicles registered outside Delhi. Vehicles carrying construction material will also not be allowed to enter Delhi during GRAP-4.

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the decision is part of emergency measures to reduce vehicular emissions as pollution levels worsen.

BJP government took concrete steps to deal with pollution

????If there is no PUCC for vehicles then there is no petrol/diesel.
Complete ban on trucks carrying construction material
Ban on entry of private vehicles below BS6 category from outside Delhi

These steps are concrete to clean Delhi’s air and curb pollution. pic.twitter.com/dLQ4b5CHr8

– BJP Delhi (@BJP4Delhi) 16 December 2025

No fuel without valid PUC

Petrol pumps in Delhi will stop supplying fuel to vehicles that do not have a valid pollution under control (PUC) certificate from Thursday. Sirsa said vehicle owners were given one day’s time to comply. ”After tomorrow, fuel will not be provided to vehicles which do not have a valid PUC certificate,” he said. Compliance will be checked using the automatic number plate recognition system and on-ground inspection.

GRAP-4 rules explained

The Air Quality Management Commission has implemented Phase IV of the Graded Response Action Plan across the NCR after AQI levels reached near or above the critical limit. Under GRAP-4, movement of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel vehicles is restricted in Delhi-NCR, except vehicles used for essential and emergency services. The restrictions apply to private and commercial vehicles entering Delhi.

BS-VI vehicles are allowed to operate along with CNG, LNG and electric vehicles. Commercial vehicles running on LNG, CNG or electricity and BS-VI diesel vehicles are also permitted.

Impact on NCR passengers

The ban will affect a large number of vehicles in NCR cities that depend on daily travel to Delhi.

• Gurugram: About 2 lakh private vehicles are non-BS-VI, including about 1.5 lakh BS-III petrol cars and over 36,000 BS-IV diesel vehicles. Additionally, over 47,000 BS-IV diesel commercial vehicles, over 2,000 BS-III petrol commercial vehicles and around 2,200 buses will not be allowed to enter Delhi.
• Noida: Of the nearly 10 lakh registered vehicles, only 4.2 lakh meet BS-VI norms. Around 1.4 lakh BS-III vehicles and 2.8 lakh BS-IV vehicles are affected.
• Ghaziabad: More than 5.5 lakh vehicles do not meet BS-VI standards, including about 1.7 lakh BS-III and 3.7 lakh BS-IV vehicles.

Some residents said the restrictions would disrupt daily commutes, school trips and medical visits. A Gurugram resident described the order as “absurd and impractical” and said Delhi and NCR function as one unit. Another resident criticized the repeated reliance on temporary restrictions, calling it “shortcut politics”.

Petrol dealers expressed concern

Delhi Petrol Dealers Association welcomed the “No PUC, No Fuel” rule but said it would be difficult to implement. The association said petrol pumps are not enforcement agencies and warned of potential law-and-order issues if staff are expected to enforce the rules without official support. It asked the government to deploy enforcement personnel at fuel stations and said pollution control measures would be more effective if implemented uniformly across the NCR.

Other enforcement measures

Sirsa said that action is being taken against many pollution sources. Challans have been issued to more than 8.66 lakh vehicles for PUC violations. Over 2,000 notices have been served to industrial units, with fines amounting to around Rs 9.21 crore.

About 3,200 diesel generator sets have been checked for compliance, and non-compliant units face closure. Online emission monitoring systems have been installed in 280 industrial units.

The minister said 3,427 electric buses are currently running in Delhi and there are plans to add about 7,000 more by December 2026.

The pollution situation remains serious

There has been continuous smog in Delhi for the last several weeks and the Air Quality Index (AQI) readings have crossed 400 at many places. Its average AQI on Wednesday morning was 328, an improvement from 377 a day earlier, but still in the ‘very poor’ category.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s Sameer app, at 9 am, 30 out of 40 monitoring stations recorded very poor air quality, with Bawana recording the highest AQI of 376. Many parts of the city remained covered in mist and fog, reducing visibility. Humidity was recorded at 100%, and the IMD predicted moderate fog for the day.

GRAP-4 has led to restrictions on movement of heavy vehicles, advice on working from home, hybrid or online classes for some school grades and suspension of outdoor activities.

Sirsa said that pollution cannot be fixed quickly. “It is impossible for any elected government to reduce AQI in 9-10 months. I apologize for the pollution in Delhi,” he said. He said daily enforcement and long-term measures are being adopted.

(with inputs from agencies)