Delhi’s latest fuel ban has thrown a wrench into daily life for a lot of car owners. Starting July 1, any diesel vehicle older than 10 years and a petrol car over 15 years can’t get fuel at city pumps.
Delhi’s vehicle ban
The Delhi government says it’s following an order from the Commission for Air Quality Management, trying to tackle the city’s notorious air pollution. Fair enough, but the fallout’s been rough.
Take Varun Vij, for example. The guy spent ₹84 lakh on a Mercedes ML350 back in 2015, drove it everywhere—including hours-long trips to pick up his son from the hostel—and now? He’s had to practically give it away for ₹2.5 lakh.
Seriously, less than the cost of a new iPhone for a family car that’s still in great shape. Only 1.35 lakh kilometres on the clock, just needed regular servicing and new tyres here and there. Still, nobody wanted to touch it with the ban hanging over its head.
Mercedes Worth INR 84 Lakhs Sold For Mere INR 2.5 Lakhs
Vij tried everything—renewing the registration, looking for buyers, you name it. Nothing worked. “Imagine—a car worth ₹84 lakh, reduced to just ₹2.5 lakh. I had no choice,” he said. And honestly, it’s hard not to feel for the guy. All those years, all those memories, gone for peanuts because of one rule change.
Now he’s shelled out another ₹62 lakh on an electric car, just to stay on the right side of the law. He’s hoping this one lasts him 20 years—unless, of course, the rules shift again.
Meanwhile, his phone’s blowing up with calls from other owners who don’t know what to do. Sell their cars for next to nothing, or cough up big bucks for a new electric ride?
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