Initiative Aims to Curb Pollution and Promote Environmentally Friendly Transportation
The Delhi government is set to introduce a new policy aimed at encouraging residents to replace their old vehicles with a subsidy of up to Rs 50,000 on road tax for their new, more environmentally friendly counterparts. The draft policy on scrapping vehicles has been prepared by the transport department and is currently awaiting approval from the finance department.
Officials reveal that the policy, once approved, will be presented to the public to solicit their suggestions. The proposed subsidy is part of a broader effort to address the increasing number of vehicles that have exceeded their lifespan, contributing to environmental pollution.
The transport department had initially taken steps to impound such vehicles and send them to scrappers, but these efforts were halted following an intervention by the Delhi High Court. In response to the court's directions, the government has formulated a draft policy on the scrapping of vehicles, which is now undergoing the approval process.
Highlighting the environmental impact, a senior government official noted that numerous vehicles beyond their operational life continue to operate on city roads, emitting pollutants. The proposed policy is expected to offer different subsidy slabs for commercial and private vehicles, addressing the unique characteristics of each category.
Current regulations stipulate that no petrol vehicle older than 15 years and no diesel vehicle older than 10 years are permitted to ply in the National Capital Region (NCR). The Statistical Handbook - 2023 reports that around 55 lakh vehicles were deregistered in Delhi in the fiscal years 2021-22 and 2022-23. However, only 1.4 lakh were officially scrapped, with owners obtaining no-objection certificates to register 6.3 lakh vehicles outside the NCR.
"This indicates that people are still holding on to their aged vehicles, either driving them with impunity, worsening air quality concerns, or parking them in residential areas or parking lots," stated an official.
The forthcoming policy aims to incentivize citizens to dispose of old and polluting vehicles by providing a subsidy on road tax for new vehicles. Those who choose to participate in the scrapping program will be issued a "certificate of deposit," which must be presented along with registration papers when purchasing a new vehicle to avail the road tax discount. This certificate will remain valid for a specified duration, and the concession in road tax will only be applicable for the same category of vehicles being scrapped, according to officials.
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