'Auto'correct: Over 23,000 Vehicles Scrapped across India, More Than Half Belonged to Govts, Says MoRTH

With 31 Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities (RVSF) operational across 12 states, at least 23,113 automobiles have been scrapped with over half of them belonging to the government, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday. “A total of 23,113 vehicles (11,095 private vehicles and 12,018 government vehicles) have been scrapped till July 21, 2023, by the Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities since the launch of the policy,” minister Nitin Gadkari informed the House.

Out of the 31 RSVF, Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of centres at nine. The facilities are also in Andhra Pradesh (2), Assam (2), Chandigarh (1), Gujarat (4), Haryana (5), Madhya Pradesh (2), Maharashtra (1), Odisha (1), Punjab (1), Rajasthan (2), and Uttarakhand (1).

The order

Responding to the queries of MK Vishnu Prasad and TRVS Ramesh, the minister said that with an order dated January 16, 2023, the certificates of registration for vehicles owned by central, state, and union territory governments and their departments are not being renewed after a lapse of 15 years. This order has been implemented since April 1.

Gadkari also said that the provision for scrapping of auctioned, impounded, or abandoned vehicles has been provided under sub-rule (viii) of rule 8 of the Motor Vehicles (Registration and Functions of Vehicle Scrapping Facility) Rules issued on September 23, 2021. He added that implementation of these rules comes under the purview of state/UT governments.

Explaining this, a ministry official said that the role of the central government is to notify the rules and regulations under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. To date, nine orders related to the policy have been issued.

“The implementation of these provisions comes under the purview of the state transport authority of the concerned state/UT,” the official said.

Significant growth in last six months

The ministry’s data analysed by News18 shows that in the last six months, the policy has seen significant growth.

Till December, there were just eight RVSFs across India and only 5,215 vehicles were scrapped at these facilities.

The aim of implementing this policy was to remove old vehicles as they pollute the environment 10 to 12 times more than fit vehicles and pose a risk to road safety.

While announcing it in 2021, Gadkari said that the Vehicle Scrapping Policy is aimed at creating an ecosystem for phasing out unfit and polluting vehicles.