The Delhi government's sudden decision to roll back its “no-fuel” policy for older vehicles has triggered a wave of funny memes and jokes across social media. The policy was introduced to stop fuel supply to petrol cars older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years. It came into effect on July 1 but was rolled back just days later after strong public backlash. While many welcomed the rollback, some people were left disappointed. This included those who had already sold their vehicles at very low prices due to fear of the ban. That frustration soon became meme content online.
One viral meme showed a boy crying with the caption, “Delhi govt lifts old car ban. Guy who sold his Rs 84 lakh Mercedes for Rs 2.5 lakh.” Another meme imagined the buyer’s reaction and read, “Person jisne 2.5 lakh mein kharidi.”
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Thursday wrote to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) requesting a pause on the recent order that stopped fuel supply to End-of-Life vehicles in the capital. In his letter to CAQM, Sirsa said the fuel ban was not practical due to technological issues and complex systems. Addressing a press conference, he said the decision had caused public discontent and the government stood with the people.
"We will clean the environment of Delhi and will not allow the vehicles of Delhi to be confiscated. This is the resolution of our Delhi Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta ji, towards the people of Delhi, this is her promise to the people of Delhi... It will be better if this system is implemented in the entire NCR and then it is implemented in Delhi. We are also looking for a solution that the vehicles should not be banned on the basis of age, but should be banned considering their pollution capacity," he said.
In his letter, Sirsa urged CAQM to hold off on enforcing Direction No. 89 until the Automatic Number Plate Recognition system is fully integrated across the NCR.