New Policy Of Vehicle Scrappage May Be Based On Pollution, Not Age

The Indian government is considering amending the mandatory provision of scrapping vehicles older than 15 years. It is working on a policy for the scrappage of vehicles to be based on pollution and not on the age of the automobile. At the annual convention of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways Secretary, Anurag Jain asked for the help of the automobile industry to help them scrap vehicles through strict pollution testing standards and reliable fitness tests. At present, mandatory scrapping of vehicles older than 15 years is applicable only in Delhi-NCR. Under the 2018 Supreme Court decision, petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years cannot run on the roads of Delhi-NCR. The court had given this order to remove old and polluting vehicles. Such vehicles are automatically deregistered from the ‘Vahan’ database.

Anurag Jain said that the new standards are being reviewed. “When you bring a policy that makes it mandatory to scrap a 15-year-old vehicle, people have a question: if they have maintained their vehicle well, then why should their vehicle be scrapped? You cannot make it mandatory,” said Anurag Jain.

The Secretary of the Ministry Of Road Transport & Highways said that the fitness test can determine whether a vehicle is fit to be on the road or not. “We have to ensure that pollution testing becomes something that is reliable. I would request all of you to help us design a pollution testing program,” added Anurag Jain.

Globally, the standards for getting a fitness certificate are very stringent. The fitness test of a vehicle also includes checking the tyres. In India, the courts have taken a different view and have gone for sanctions due to lax enforcement of the rules by government agencies. The Centre had sought a review of these standards, but the Supreme Court had rejected it. There is another appeal in the Supreme Court, which is yet to be heard.

As per the current policy, commercial vehicles had to undergo a fitness test after 15 years while private vehicles after 20 years. If it fails the fitness test, it is declared an End-Of-Life Vehicle (ELV) and is eligible for scrapping. This service allows you to scrap your vehicle at a registered scrapper and receive payment for the scrap. You can also get a Certificate of Deposit (CD) and a financial benefit against it.