MP: Transport Deptt to Execute Scrappage Policy to Phase out Polluting and Unfit Vehicles

BHOPAL / In a move to create a robust ecosystem and safer road transportation, the Madhya Pradesh government will soon execute the Vehicle Scrappage Policy(VSP), a programme for phasing out unfit and polluting vehicles, at the ground level.

Talking to The Sun Today, Transport Commissioner(TC) Sanjay Jha, a 1989 bath IPS officer of the MP cadre said that the department would first implement the policy in major cities like Indore and Bhopal after which it would be carried out across the state, in this regard, instructions had already been given to both the Regional Transport Officers.

The VSP-22 is a Voluntary Vehicle-Fleet Modernisation Programme of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways was launched on 13 August to reduce pollution, curb road mishaps and create job opportunities by replacing old and unfit vehicles with modern and new vehicles. According to the policy, the age of commercial and non-commercial vehicles shall be below 15 and 20 years respectively.

“To promote the policy, the government has also decided that those owners who voluntarily want to scrap their vehicles before the decided age will be incentivised with a 25 per cent exemption in ‘vehicle tax’ while getting registered a new vehicle”, the TC said.

The department has authorised two companies to establish Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities. They are Mahindra MSTC Recycling Pvt Limited and Imperial Construction. The MSTC is a Government of India enterprise under the Ministry of Steel.

“Under the policy, Automated Testing Stations(ATS) will also be set up at the divisional level by the department with the joint venture of private players to grant the fitness certificate annually for every commercial vehicle”, Jha also said. “In case of failure in the fitness test, the vehicles will be declared as ‘end-of-life vehicles(ELVs)’, and scrapping will be made mandatory for those carriages. The stakeholders can get information on the National Sigle Window System portal”, he added.

After being implemented the policy, the possibility of improving the air quality index(AQI) would be increased in the state, according to studies the pre-BS(Bharat Stage) vehicles emit 11 to 14 times more carbon as compared to new or modern vehicles according, Jha also informed.

Apart from these, the department considering hiking compounding fees, on those to be found without helmets while driving two-wheelers, it will help bring down road accidents, the TC further added.

In this regard, a Cabinet Committee has been constituted to consider the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Act 2019.