Budget 2023: Govt Will Support States for Replacing Old Polluting Vehicles Under Scrapping Policy

Old polluting vehicles will be scrapped under the vehicle scrappage policy as a joint effort of both centre and state governments.

In a bid to curb pollution caused by ageing vehicles, the government has announced to assist states in replacing old vehicles under the vehicle scrapping policy. This came out during the budget session, which is being presented by Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister of India. The move will help states in swiping out the old government vehicles like ambulances, police vehicles and more. Also, MoRTH tweeted, “In a bid to curb pollution caused by ageing vehicles, the government has announced to assist states in replacing old vehicles under the vehicle scrapping policy. This came out during the budget session, which is being presented by Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister of India.”

Vehicle scrapping Policy: We have allocated adequate funds to scrap old vehicles of the Central Govt. States will be supported in replacing old vehicles and old ambulances: FM Smt @nsitharaman #UnionBudget2023

— MORTHINDIA (@MORTHIndia) February 1, 2023

The minister also said that coastal shipping will be promoted as the energy efficient and lower cost mode of transport, both for passengers and freight, through PPP mode with viability gap funding.

Recently, Union minister Nitin Gadkari had said more than nine lakh vehicles, owned by central and state governments, transport corporations and public sector undertakings, that are older than 15 years will go off the road from April 1 and new vehicles will replace them.

According to a recent notification by the road transport and highways ministry, from April 1, all vehicles owned by central and state governments, including buses owned by transport corporations and public sector undertakings, that are older than 15 years will be de-registered and scrapped.

The rule shall not apply to the special purpose vehicles (armoured and other specialised vehicles) used for operational purposes for the defence of the country and for the maintenance of law and order and internal security, the notification had said.

With agency inputs