Official, fuel-guzzling vehicles more than 15 years old being phased out in first phase

Mysore/Mysuru: The State has initiated the process of scrapping Government-owned vehicles that have completed 15 years, prioritising based on their usage. This decision comes in response to a directive from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

The Ministry has instructed all State Governments to phase out vehicles that are 15 years old. To facilitate this, an e-auction platform was developed through the Metal Scrap Trade Corporation (MSTC) Ltd. for auctioning these vehicles.

As a result, the fuel-guzzling Government vehicles, including buses and jeeps, which have been in use for 15 to 20 years and emit harmful smoke, causing environmental pollution and frequent breakdowns, will be decommissioned. The Transport Department has decided not to renew the registration of such vehicles.

The implementation of the vehicle scrapping policy will occur in stages. According to the Transport Department’s order, priority will be given to scrapping the vehicles that have been in service for the longest duration.

The Transport Department has identified over 15,296 Government vehicles older than 15 years that need to be scrapped. The first phase process to scrap 5,000 of these vehicles has already commenced.

The non-renewal of registration certificates for Government vehicles older than 15 years is recommended and such vehicles will be compulsorily scrapped as per the Central Motor Vehicles Rules.

The Central Government has also directed the waiving of outstanding liabilities on scrapped vehicles for a one-time period, limited to one year. Additionally, it has introduced an incentive of Rs. 200 crore for scrapping  old vehicles.

Devika, the Regional Transport Officer, informed Star of Mysore that the Government has already instructed all departments to scrap their old vehicles. She stated, “All Departments must obtain Fitness Certificates (FC) from the RTO and we will not renew the FC for Government vehicles that are older than 15 years, thereby enforcing the vehicle scrapping rule. Driving vehicles without FC is considered an offence.”

Private vehicles

For private vehicles, the State Government issued a notification in December 2022 to implement the Registered Vehicle Scrappage Policy of Karnataka-2022. The Government has established a vehicle scrapping centre (Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility-RVSF) operated by Mahindra MSTC Recycling Private Limited in Vijayapura, Devanahalli taluk, Bengaluru. Another company will set up a centre in Urdigere, near Koratagere in Tumakuru.

As per sources, this order came into effect on Sept. 14, and vehicle owners wishing to scrap their old vehicles can approach the facility. Vehicle owners who scrap their vehicles at the registered vehicle scrapping centre will receive a Certificate of Destruction, which can be used to obtain discounts when purchasing a new vehicle.

It’s important to note that vehicles to be scrapped should not have any pending Police cases or traffic fines. Before issuing the certificate of deposit to vehicle owners, RVSF will verify whether the vehicle has any criminal involvement through the National Crime Records Bureau and whether there are any outstanding tax dues by accessing the Vahan database.

Clearing tax dues is a prerequisite to obtaining the certificate. As per the policy, the certificate of deposit is tradable and necessary to avail incentives and benefits when purchasing a new vehicle.

The Mahindra MSTC facility in Devanahalli has the capacity to scrap about 25,000 vehicles annually, with the option to increase capacity if required. Access to the facility’s services can be obtained through the Vahan portal.