Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Jan 3: Despite the central government introducing the vehicle scrapping policy to curb pollution and promote road safety, many vehicle owners are turning a blind eye, leaving hundreds of ageing cars and motorcycles active on district roads.

According to the transport department, 6,617 two-wheelers and 5,767 cars are being driven without renewed fitness certificates — all of them privately owned.

“While government vehicles strictly follow the scrapping rules, private vehicle owners continue to flout the norms,” an official from the transport department said.

Currently, the district has 90,933 two-wheelers and 18,395 cars whose fitness certificates have expired. Of these, 6,067 two-wheelers and 11,008 cars are off the roads, but authorities have no clarity on whether these vehicles have been scrapped.

Under the scrapping policy, private diesel vehicles older than 15 years and petrol vehicles older than 20 years must undergo a fitness test. Vehicles that pass the test can continue operating, while those that fail must be sent for environmentally safe scrapping.

The policy was introduced by the central government in 2021, with state-level rules framed in 2022, and implemented in 2023. Initially, information on government vehicles eligible for scrapping was available through the deputy commissioner’s office. Since 2024, the process has been streamlined: government offices can directly register vehicles for scrapping via the VA-SAMP web portal.

In the district, 183 government vehicles are eligible for scrapping. Official records show that 19 vehicles from the health department, one each from the fisheries department and DC office, three from the excise department, two each from the mines and geology department and the animal husbandry department, and one from the Karnataka Rural Road Development Agency have been officially sent for scrapping.

Vehicles sent for scrapping receive a certificate of deposit, and after completion of the scrapping process, a certificate of scrapping is issued. Departments then receive replacement vehicles. At present, the state operates registered vehicle scrapping centres at Devanahalli, Bengaluru, and Korategere, Tumakuru.

For government vehicles over 15 years old, scrapping is mandatory, with no fitness-based extension. For private vehicles over 15 years, a fitness test is required; passing the test allows a five-year licence extension, while failing results in mandatory scrapping.

“At the scrapping centres, the RTO first cancels the vehicle registration, after which the vehicle is disposed of in an environmentally safe manner,” a transport official explained. “The certificate of deposit confirms the transfer, and the vehicle scrapping certificate completes the process.”

Officials warn that while government departments strictly adhere to the rules, the continued operation of private vehicles beyond the prescribed age raises serious concerns about road safety, air pollution, and regulatory compliance.