The Maharashtra government has decided to scrap all government vehicles older than 15 years by the end of June this year. The state cabinet approved the Centre’s scrappage policy and decided to establish scrapping yards in October 2022.
According to additional transport commissioner J B Patil, the government also intends to raise the green tax on vehicles older than 15 years, as well as conduct stringent inspections of all old vehicles and levy hefty fines on those who violate pollution control standards.
The transport department will also develop automated fitness test centres across Maharashtra within a year, ensuring that even private vehicles over 15 years old and unfit face severe penalties, according to Patil.
Scraping private vehicles to be voluntary
The transportation department intends to scrap the majority of old vehicles, whether private or government-owned. Private vehicles, on the other hand, are not required to be scrapped.
Private cars older than 20 years and commercial vehicles older than 15 years can be scrapped, and vehicle owners will be free to do so.
‘Vehilcle- scrapping centres across Maharashtra soon’
According to officials, nearly 20 lakh vehicles will be scrapped in the state in a scientific manner soon, with scrapping procedures now being simplified and made completely IT-driven.
“We will introduce new registered vehicle-scrapping centres across the state soon so that there are an adequate number of places where one can scrap vehicles in a scientific manner,” Vivek Bhimanwar, Transport Commissioner of Maharashtra said.
Officials at 50 RTOs across the state have been given strict instructions to ensure that people pay green tax and obtain fitness certificates for older vehicles.
The new policy will also help reduce illegal scrapping of vehicles, particularly stolen vehicles that were recently discovered to be given to some scrap dealers. Furthermore, the new policy is expected to reduce road mishaps caused by technical errors or faults in older vehicles.
Bhimanwar continued by stating that it will also give car owners incentives to purchase new vehicles. According to sources, for each car scrapped, the owner will receive a “credit note” for the scrap value, which could be four to six percent of the ex-showroom cost of new vehicles.
