The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas has issued a new set of directions aimed at fast-tracking the transition to cleaner mobility. This decision comes under the powers granted to the Commission by the CAQM Act of 2021. The move targets Motor Vehicle Aggregators, Delivery Service Providers, and E-Commerce Entities operating in the Delhi-NCR region, given their significant contribution to vehicular pollution.
The transport sector has been identified as a major contributor to air pollution in the region, especially during winter months. Within this sector, commercial vehicles are known for higher emissions due to heavy usage, overloading, and poor maintenance. This growing concern has been repeatedly raised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in various review meetings and has also been highlighted by the Hon’ble Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal.
The Commission underlines that all Aggregators and Delivery Service Providers operating fleets larger than 25 vehicles must shift towards cleaner alternatives such as CNG and electric vehicles. The direction also emphasizes the need for these vehicles to be registered on a dedicated web portal developed by the Delhi government to track and monitor their operations.
While Delhi has already launched the Motor Vehicle Aggregator and Delivery Service Provider Scheme, 2023, to regulate such entities, the Commission now urges other NCR states—Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan—to create similar policies. Special attention is to be given to cities with high vehicle density such as Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida, and Ghaziabad, which face significant challenges related to intercity vehicle movement.
To further control emissions, a previous direction from November 2022 mandated the phasing out of diesel autorickshaws in different phases across NCR districts by the end of 2026. Continuing with this policy push, the Commission now mandates that from January 1, 2026, no new diesel or petrol vehicles will be allowed to be added to the fleets of 4-wheeler Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs), Light Goods Vehicles (LGVs), and 2-wheelers. Only electric or CNG vehicles can be inducted into fleets post this date.
State governments have been instructed to ensure compliance by directing relevant transport and environmental authorities under their jurisdiction. The governments of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan are also required to develop their digital platforms for vehicle monitoring and to widely publicize these new measures to ensure awareness and implementation.
This latest direction is a part of CAQM’s larger strategy to reduce vehicular emissions in one of India’s most polluted regions and to promote the use of cleaner mobility solutions through stronger regulation and policy enforcement.
