[Sanidhya mukund]

According to a report by Times of India, the Delhi government has reiterated that 10/15 year old diesel and Petrol cars must be scrapped. They have further emphasised that if such vehicles are found plying on the road, the owner will have to pay a fine of Rs. 10,000 and the vehicle will be impounded.

The Delhi government’s transport department on Tuesday warned vehicle owners that if such ‘end of life vehicles’ are found plying on roads, appropriate penal action shall be taken.

As per the amended MV Act, plying of old vehicles can invite a fine of Rs. 10,000, which is compoundable to Rs 5,000. However, as per directions of the Supreme Court, such vehicles can be impounded and scrapped by the transport department.

While the above info is a well known fact, what the article also points out is the ridiculously low number of cars that have been scrapped!
According to their estimates, a total of 35 lakh petrol cars and 3 lakh diesel cars should have gone off Delhi roads, but the actual number of cars that have been scrapped since the 2018 order is a laughable figure of 2879!



To put things into perspective, only 0.075% of the cars that had to be scrapped according to the order have been scrapped!
This clearly goes to show that very few people have been scrapping their cars. The question that arises then, is that where did all the cars go?

Probably abandoned, sold to rural hinterlands without papers, sent to the owners native place or even preserved as driveway ornaments (like my Ikon) are a few possible scenarios.

Source: https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/m.tim...w/83560937.cms

[batish]

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

This clearly goes to show that very few people have been scrapping their cars. The question that arises then, is that where did all the cars go?

I don't think scrapping even comes to mind when the vehicle is running fine and has been maintained well. Every owner whose vehicle can slot in a gear and move does not want to scrap it.

Usually option of scrapping comes when vehicle has not been re-registered or has considerable dues on it or both.

What I have observed these cars are usually sold to rural areas or tier 3 cities nearby NCR. So they are not actually solving the pollution problem but shifting it to another place.

With due respect to the court, just like sun film ban this policy is totally inconsiderate.

[anjan_c2007]

Originally Posted by batish

What I have observed these cars are usually sold to rural areas or tier 3 cities nearby NCR. So they are not actually solving the pollution problem but shifting it to another place.

Very rightly said. Just because a court passes a verdict, it doesn't mean that all the older vehicles are en mass unfit and must go to the scrapyard.

The phenomenon is very, very old and an apt and judicially correct way out to circumvent the ban on older private cars.

Even older commercial vehicles have been reaching rural tracts, nearer to the cities. We used to see Lambretta three wheelers in rural areas around Delhi, when older commercial vehicles were banned by a Supreme Court verdict, a decade and a half ago.

Also older private vehicles have been reaching rural areas nearer to metros and cities since a long, long time, even before such a ban.

[TusharK]

Delhi: Rs. 10,000 fine on 10+ year old vehicles

If you live in Delhi and are using a diesel vehicle that’s over 10-years old or a petrol vehicle that’s over 15-years old, be prepared to pay a hefty fine.



The Delhi Government Transport Department has announced that owners will be fined Rs. 10,000 if their old diesel or petrol vehicles are found on the road. Further, the authorities will impound such vehicles and scrap them.

The Motor Vehicles Act has a provision for a fine of Rs. 10,000 compoundable by Rs. 5,000 on older vehicles. However, the latest Supreme Court order now enables the transport department to impound and scrap such vehicles that are found plying on the road.

The apex court has also asked the transport department to publish a list of all delisted vehicles and to notify their owner to bring their vehicles in for scrapping.

There are an estimated 3.5 lakh vehicles plying on the roads of Delhi that are due for scrapping. Out of these only 2,831 vehicles had been scrapped till May 30, 2021.

Source: ET Auto

[vredesbyrd]

Excellent. In one news, the government half-heartedly intends to challenge the sheer stupidity that is NGT. On the other hand, this absolute hypocrisy by DGTD. I don't want to drive a car in our country anymore.

Who is bribing them and NGT to make and hold such baseless laws?!

Edit: Why is there absolutely no uproar from anybody at all? Next they will ban owning cars like North Korea? Can they not see that the ban did nothing to the air quality index? Do they not see the common man burden by paying excessive taxes through their noses and getting absolutely nothing out of it? How can people stand such policies? How are people making these policies not questioned or opposed at all? Is the opposition sitting on a tree and eating nuts?! I give up.

[sidharthg]

I think in this current economic situation and also businesses being in dumps due to COVID, it is outright unfair and cruel to force someone to scrap the vehicle. On to top that, fine them 10000! It'll only encourage more corruption, with police demanding 5-6k to let go!

IMHO, End of the day, if an old car is serving the purpose for them without having to spend lakh's of Rs. on a new car then I don't think they should be forced. For example, I myself own Merc E-350 Petrol and it is 10 yrs old, although I still have 5 more years but still I wouldn't want to be forced to scrap it and buy a new car. May be at that point in time I'm unable to afford it or it is well maintained.

Yes I understand that it is all for environment and pollution but frankly putting someone under a financial burden is uncalled for. It is so very easy for the bureaucrats to sit in the offices and take these decisions, it is the common man who suffers the most.

They should instead force newer technologies and adopt Euro 7 or 8 much earlier. Or tax the cars based on the pollution and safety rating rather than size & engine CC. Automatically we will have safer cars and low pollution.

[jithin23]

Why to tax or impose something when it's running in good condition. I'd agree if the vehicle is ill maintained then charging a fine or denying FC makes more sense.

Okay, if the vehicle gets scrapped, will the government give the residual value of the vehicle to the owner. Or is there a full fledged public transport system to all parts of the city with minimal disruptions?

This is just another source to fill up pockets.

Rather they can lower the taxes, bring fuels under GST and as more users will use petroleum products or buy commodities, which will result in more spending power and that itself causes a cyclic reaction and a cascading method to fill up the government coffers.

[AKSarkar1]

Originally Posted by sidharthg

Yes I understand that it is all for the environment and pollution but frankly putting someone under a financial burden is uncalled for. It is so very easy for the bureaucrats to sit in the offices and take these decisions, it is the common man who suffers the most.

They should instead force newer technologies and adopt Euro 7 or 8 much earlier. Or tax the cars based on the pollution and safety rating rather than size & engine CC. Automatically we will have safer cars and low pollution.

+1 to this. Such policies are absolutely uncalled for. I get the fact that it might be "beneficial" to the environment but to what extent? All cars over 15 years old aren't rampant polluters and a 'threat' to the environment. Instead, the government should isolate the super polluters like autos, taxis, etc (not meaning to generalizing that only they pollute). When the common man doesn't have money to make ends meet, taxing him/her 10K+ Rupees is logical as per which economical theory?

I'm sure car owners even wouldn't mind going for a yearly test to check the overall health (engine + body etc) to ensure that the car is fit to ply on Delhi-NCR roads instead of just assuming that all old cars are polluting rust buckets and need to be scrapped.

Our government is an expert when it comes to progressive taxation and the same can be done on a unit basis for individual cars that are fit to run over the 10-15 year mark. To me, this seems to be lobbying at its very best form. It is also important to note what are we getting in return, what is the trade-off? Better roads, significantly cheaper registration on new cars, lower EMI rates on car loans? A policy simply can't be implemented at the expense of the common man without complementary aspects being in place.

For a rich person changing a car let's say every 3-4 years might not be a big deal but the government seems to have forgotten the fundamental aspect of cars yet being somewhat of an aspirational product for millions of Indians even to date.

I do apologize for the negative or rather harsh tone of this post. Hope the government does a U-turn on this policy.

[m8002?]

Another tax/fine to squeeze the aam junta. In this covid situation, you are now forced to replace your old car - even if its in good condition.

How strict is the RTO (in north )on pollution with regards to trucks and buses? Atleast, in south, the cops dont care about polluting trucks and private buses. The less said about the state transport buses, the better.

I feel private cars/2 wheelrs should come with a five year PUC from the showroom.

[GeeTee TSI]

It shows the lack of protection for citizens through means such as compensation, the customer paid road tax for 15 years in good faith. Giving a discount in the next purchase doesn't cut it, instead; handing out a compensation handout will (sorry to say this) pinch the government enough to come up with a responsible and practical solution.

If the intent to tackle emissions is genuine, then the vehicle should be given target emission levels to clear as suggested in earlier posts, than impose this easy-to-execute order basis the age criterion

[Mango]

The NGT definitely took an uneducated guess, modern diesel engines produce the same amount of carbon particulates as an equivalent petrol and it is more true with the BS6 emission norms. The problem of the sub-par quality of the air still persists in the capital even after there was a nation-wide lockdown implemented and minimal cars were plying on the road. In my experience the cops don't give two hoots about the pollution in the city and this is just another way to extract more money as experienced by an uncle who was travelling between states and was left after giving a Rs. 2000 bribe for plying his accent diesel on the roads.

Even if we keep aside the matter of pollution, we as consumers have paid full price for the vehicle and the exorbitant road tax for 15 full years. Not only this works in contradiction to us consumers but also takes away the joy of owning a car. The value of these cars have also been slashed as used car dealers offer peanuts for the cars and sell them off in another state for a healthy profit. In the end no-one but the consumer looses while sitting in the ever-polluted air and deliberated to change their car after 10 years.

[Neversaygbye]

Another tone deaf policy if there ever was one. I refuse to believe that this is about pollution. Had the government really been serious about that, they would have sat down with the centre and done something about the crop burning that destroys Delhi's air quality every winter. Looks like the government is out to make money at the cost of the general public and is also in cahoots with auto OEMs, as they are the only other party that stands to gain from this policy. This is only likely to backfire as many people will put off buying cars, plus this will hit the second hand car market too in the long run.

If they want to go ahead with this, at the very least, the government should pay the IDV of the car based on fair rate (i.e. average IDV of that model based on data from all other states) to the owner, since this is nothing other than a total loss for the concerned owner.

[landcruiser123]

The government is hiding behind its failure (to control other sources of pollution and) to have effective periodic pollution control & fitness checks for private and commercial vehicles.

[tiagoatrix]

Elected PM/MP/MLA's bureaucrats touring in aircrafts, helicopter and their convoy consisting of dozens of cars contribute to more carbon foot than probably all the 15 yo private cars combined.

Car is still a distant dream for 70-80%of Indians, Even if they buy one,they don't change it for a generation or two.

You tax 50% and additional 18% Road tax on a product, plus exorbitant excise duty on Fuels and then you ask to scarp the product in 10 year time, day light looting.

With no affordable and Competent EV right now, Government should fast track adoption EV than these draconian laws.

[aayusht]

I am not sure if the policy makers realize the cascading effect of such policies.

Volume wise, most of the cars are bought by the middle class. The more affluent one buy the expensive cars but the volumes would be lower.
Because of these rules, I as a middle class person would also not want to jump towards a higher segment easily. If I cant draw value from a car by retaining it longer, I wont buy an expensive car.

Finally, lot of cars which are 10-15 years old get sold in tier 2 / 3 towns. Once we are forced to scrap the 10/15 year old cars, the folks in tier 2/3 town also dont get access to these and their options further get limited.

All these situations would in the long term hurt the economy. Instead of encouraging car purchases, the govt. is discouraging car purchase. I guess they are under the impression that they are turning our country into Singapore.

Hypothetically, if the public transport was improving exponentially, the story would be completely different, but alas, in our country, we get to read about Kia Carnivals being bought for officers instead of AC buses being bought for the common man.