The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) issued a draft notification proposing mandatory non-renewal of registration of government vehicles older than 15 years. The same will be applicable from April 1, 2023, MoRTH said.
“It will also be mandatory for buses and vehicles of corporations and transport departments to scrap vehicles older than 15 years. The government is seeking suggestions within 30 days,” it said.
On Friday, Union minister Nitin Gadkari also said all vehicles belonging to the Indian government that has completed 15 years will be scrapped, and a policy to that effect has been sent to states.
He was speaking at the inauguration of the annual ‘Agro-Vision’ agriculture exhibition.
“Yesterday, I signed a file under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that all the vehicles of the Indian government which have completed 15 years will be scrapped. I have sent this policy of the Indian government to all the states. They should adopt this policy at the state level,” he was quoted as saying.
Nitin Gadkari on September 14, 2022, announced plans of having at least three registered vehicle scrapping facilities in every district of the country.
The vehicle scrappage policy came into effect in April this year.
The vehicle scrappage policy states: old and unfit vehicles are scrapped and replaced with modern and new vehicles on the roads.
Even before the vehicle scrappage was announced, the Supreme Court banned the plying of 15-year-old petrol and 10-year-old diesel vehicles in the national capital on October 29, 2018. The National Green Tribunal issued an order in 2014 that barred vehicles older than 15 years to be parked in any public area.