Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways issues order to be effective from April

Mysuru/Bengaluru: The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has announced to scrap all Govt. vehicles older than 15 years with effect from Apr. 1, 2023.

With this, the fuel guzzling Government vehicles, including buses and jeeps and other category vehicles, which are in use from 15 years, emitting harmful smoke causing environmental pollution and breaking down on roads will be condemned, with the Transport Department deciding to cancel the renewal of registration.

However, private parties and commercial sectors can breathe easy as the Government has decided to leave it to the prerogative of the owners to take a call on sending such vehicles to scrap. Hence, it has been decided to invite applications to open Scrap Centres from Feb. 1.

The changes were made to Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 and new rule 52A (Renewal of Government Vehicles Registration Certificate) was included. The (First Amendment) Rule 2023 including the Scrap Policy is being implemented and the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued an order to implement the rule across the country from Apr. 1.

The Central Government has already issued restrictions on renewing the registration of Government vehicles that are 15 years old from Nov. 24, 2022 itself.

According to the recent order, over nine lakh Government vehicles irrespective of State and Central Government, will not be hitting the roads from Apr. 1, with 40,000 to 50,000 vehicles estimated in Karnataka alone.  Instead, provisions are made to switch over to green vehicles like-CNG and bio LNG and electric vehicles.

All State-owned Transport Corporations have old buses, followed by other vehicles in Police Department, Regional Transport Offices (RTOs), Forest Department, Excise Department and Education Department, which are unfit to use, according to the officers.

In the State alone, old buses in Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC), North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC) and Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) pose a big threat.

The buses that have run 10 lakh to 15 lakh kilometre often break down, besides having several instances of meeting fatal accidents due to brake failure.

KSRTC has 3,000 such fleet of buses, followed by BMTC with thousands of similar buses, with plans on the anvil to operate old buses on rural routes, in the wake of adding new buses. Following the order to scrap buses in use for 15 years, it will benefit passengers, it is said.