Delhi pollution: What’s allowed and what’s not this year as new rules to impact private cars, buses, delivery fleets and school transport

Ahead of another pollution-heavy winter, Delhi authorities are tightening vehicle-related restrictions and encouraging a gradual shift towards cleaner modes of transport. A series of curbs on vehicle registration, entry and fleet induction are set to take effect across Delhi and other parts of the National Capital Region (NCR) over the coming years.

Check out the new rules set to come into effect for private motorists, commercial operators, buses, delivery fleets and school transport.

Restrictions on non-Delhi vehicles

Vehicles registered outside Delhi that meet BS-IV or lower emission standards, including petrol and diesel vehicles, will not be allowed to enter the capital between November 1 and January 31.


However, BS-VI vehicles, as well as CNG and electric vehicles, will be exempt from the restriction.

Cleaner vehicles for goods transport

Delhi-NCR is set for a phased shift towards cleaner goods vehicles, with restrictions being introduced across different vehicle categories.

For N1 light goods vehicles, used for transporting goods and with a gross vehicle weight of up to 3,500 kg, Delhi will stop registering petrol, diesel and CNG variants from January 1, 2027. The restriction will extend to high-vehicle-density NCR districts, including Gurgaon and Noida, from July 1, 2027.

For the heavier N2 category, covering vehicles weighing between 3,500 kg and 7,500 kg, Delhi will permit registration only for electric variants from January 1, 2028. In Gurgaon, Faridabad, Sonipat, Ghaziabad and Noida, the electric-only requirement will take effect from July 1, 2028.

In the rest of NCR, only electric and CNG N2 vehicles will be eligible for registration from January 1, 2029.

Electric three-wheelers get a phased rollout

Electric three-wheelers in the L5 category, which includes passenger and goods vehicles with a maximum speed of up to 55 kmph and weight of up to 1,500 kg, will also be introduced through a phased registration plan.

Delhi will allow L5 electric three-wheelers to be registered from January 1, 2027. Registration will be extended to Gurgaon, Faridabad, Sonipat, Ghaziabad and Noida from January 1, 2028, followed by the rest of NCR from January 1, 2029.

New rules for aggregators and delivery fleets

Motor vehicle aggregators, delivery service providers and e-commerce companies will face tighter fleet requirements from 2027.

From January 1, 2027, these companies will not be permitted to induct conventional internal-combustion-engine vehicles running solely on petrol or diesel.

For existing fleets, BS-VI emission-standard two-wheelers can be inducted only until December 31, 2026.

‘No PUCC, no fuel’ rule expands across NCR

Delhi introduced the ‘No PUCC, no fuel’ rule in 2025, and the measure will be extended across the rest of NCR from October 1, 2026.

Under the rule, vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) will not be allowed to purchase fuel.

Commercial goods vehicles face entry curbs

Commercial goods vehicles entering Delhi will face tighter restrictions.

From November 1, 2025, commercial goods vehicles other than BS-VI, CNG, LNG and electric vehicles have not been permitted to enter Delhi, except for vehicles registered in the capital.

BS-IV commercial goods vehicles have received a limited relaxation and will be allowed to enter Delhi only until October 31, 2026.

Buses entering Delhi must meet cleaner standards

From November 1, 2026, buses entering Delhi, including those operating under All-India Tourist Permits and other service regimes, will have to run on CNG, electricity or BS-VI diesel.

The restriction will not apply to buses registered in Delhi.

At the same time, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and the transport department will procure only electric intra-state buses, accelerating the shift towards electric public transport.

Delhi to allow only electric two-wheelers for new registrations

A major change for individual vehicle buyers is scheduled from April 1, 2028.

From that date, only electric two-wheelers will be eligible for new registration in Delhi.

The move is part of a broader effort to reduce dependence on conventional internal-combustion-engine vehicles.

Schools face fleet electrification targets

Schools will also be required to progressively electrify their vehicle fleets under EV Policy 2.0, notified on June 30.

The policy requires electric vehicles to account for at least 10% of a school’s fleet by the end of the second year after notification, rising to 20% by the end of the third year and 30% by March 31, 2030.

Action against end-of-life vehicles

Authorities in Delhi-NCR can take action against end-of-life vehicles conforming to BS-III or lower emission standards.

The measure adds to existing efforts to remove older and more polluting vehicles from roads across the region.

What happens when GRAP kicks in?

The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) imposes progressively stricter restrictions as air quality deteriorates.

During Stage I, when the Air Quality Index (AQI) is between 201 and 300, and Stage II, when it is between 301 and 400, inter-state and inter-city buses from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir will not be allowed to enter Delhi unless they are electric, CNG or BS-VI diesel vehicles.

When the AQI reaches Stage III, or 401-450, BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel light-motor vehicles, including four-wheelers, will face restrictions in Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Sonipat and Noida.

At this stage, BS-IV and below diesel-operated medium goods vehicles will also be restricted in Delhi. BS-IV and below diesel-operated light commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi will not be allowed to enter the capital.

The strictest restrictions apply under Stage IV, when the AQI crosses 450. Truck traffic entering Delhi will be banned, with exemptions for LNG, CNG, electric and BS-VI diesel trucks.

Delhi-registered BS-IV and below diesel-operated heavy goods vehicles will also be prohibited from operating in the city.

Why vehicular pollution is being targeted

Transport remains a significant contributor to air pollution across Delhi-NCR.

A CAQM meta-analysis of studies conducted between 2015 and 2025 estimates that transport contributes 19-24% of pollution during winter and 18-21% during summer.

These estimates have made vehicular emissions a major focus of the region’s pollution-control strategy, alongside measures targeting other significant sources.

CNG is cleaner than diesel, but not pollution-free

The shift from diesel to CNG can substantially reduce primary particulate emissions, but CNG vehicles are not entirely pollution-free.

CNG vehicles continue to generate significant amounts of nitrogen oxides (NOx), which contribute to the formation of secondary PM2.5.

This means continued reliance on CNG can shift some pollution from directly emitted particles towards chemically formed secondary particulate matter rather than eliminating particulate pollution altogether.

A TERI analysis from 2022 estimated that vehicular NOx accounts for 18-22% of the total NOx load in the NCR airshed, with CNG fleets contributing a substantial share.

Secondary particulates are also among the largest identified contributors to ambient PM2.5 concentrations in Delhi-NCR, accounting for around 27% in winter and 17% in summer.

A phased shift towards cleaner mobility

Taken together, the measures point to a gradual tightening of vehicle-related rules across Delhi-NCR.

Restrictions on older vehicles and conventional commercial fleets are being accompanied by deadlines for electric vehicle adoption across goods transport, two-wheelers, three-wheelers, buses, delivery fleets and school transport.

For motorists and fleet operators, the coming deadlines will determine which vehicles can enter Delhi, which can be registered and which can continue operating as air-quality restrictions become progressively stricter.