Govt studies linking vehicle scrapping policy to pollution levels, not age

Highway Secretary Anurag Jain said that pollution certificates need to be trustworthy

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Following concerns over the new vehicle scrappage policy, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is studying whether it can link the vehicle scrapping mandate to the pollution levels of vehicles instead of their age, according to the Union Road Transport and Highways Secretary Anurag Jain.

“People tell us that if they've maintained their vehicle well, why should they be mandated to scrap it? We are studying whether we can enforce a scrapping mandate where the upper limit is relative to the pollution of the vehicle, for example, pre BS-1 or pre BS-2, instead of the 15-year mandate,” Jain said at the 64th Annual General Meeting of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam).

They would, however, need to be a trustworthy system of issuing pollution certificates, he added, seeking inputs from the industry on how to make the framework watertight.

The secretary was addressing a session on sustainable mobility.

Currently, vehicles that are more than 15 years old will have to be scrapped under the Central government’s scrappage policy. Heavy commercial vehicles are required to undergo fitness tests for the same.

Reports suggest that in several states, the Centre’s scrappage programme has struggled to take off. 

Earlier, Union minister Nitin Gadkari also urged the sector to increase discounts related to the scrapping of old vehicles against the purchase of new ones, adding that it will help decrease pollution and reduce steel imports significantly.

Gadkari and Jain also highlighted that despite interventions such as the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme and others, the number of accidents aren't coming down.

According to the Road Transport and Highways Ministry’s data, over 500,000 accidents take place each year. In 2022, accidents claimed 1,68,000 lives, which is the highest of all time.

Jain urged the industry and the panel he was addressing, which included KN Radhakrishnan, managing director and the chief executive officer of TVS Motor Company, to identify ways through which two-wheelers can be made safer, as a majority of accidental deaths are of two-wheeler riders.

Jain also said the government has started working on the BS-7, and consultations are on.

“We are conscious of the fact that the auto industry is essential for us to achieve our 2047 goals of becoming a developed country. The sector provides employment to over 35 million people, so we have to be careful about our policies when it comes to automobile manufacturers. We will move in consultation so that there is no harm done, but we will not be left behind,” he added.