According to a notification by the Road Transport and Highways Ministry, all vehicles owned by central and state governments that are older than 15 years will be de-registered and scrapped from April 1.
Introduction Of Vehicle Policy
The government has issued a notification to inform about vehicle scrappage policy for government vehicles which are older than 15 years.
The notification will affect all the vehicles including buses owned by transport corporations and public sector undertakings that are older than 15 years.
It is noteworthy here that this rule shall not apply to the special purpose vehicles such as armored and other specialized vehicles which are used for operational purposes for the defense of the country and for the maintenance of law and order and internal security, as per the notification.
Further the notification mentioned, “Disposal of such vehicles shall, after the expiry of the fifteen years from the date of initial registration of the vehicle, (should) be ensured through the Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility set up in accordance with the Motor Vehicles (Registration and Functions of Vehicle Scrapping Facility) Rules, 2021,”.
How Does This Help?
The notification said that all the central and state governments vehicles that have completed 15 years will be scrapped from April 1, 2023.
Notably, this new rule will also be applicable for the buses and vehicles of the state corporations and transport departments.
The new policy is expected to benefit the industry in multiple ways.
This policy will help in reducing emission from worn-down vehicles.
With the implementation of this policy, the auto industry will receive impetus, as the need to replace old vehicles with new will increase demand.
Lastly, this will provide cheaper raw materials for the steel industry that will be available from scrap material.
In this regard, the central government had sought approval from the states during November last year.
After getting the green signal from the states, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued the notification.
Please note here that this decision is currently not mandatory for the owners of private cars or motor vehicles.
