Are you someone who takes pride in maintaining your car, only to be told it’s time to scrap it once it hits 15 years? It can be frustrating, right? You’ve taken care of it, kept it in top condition, but the law doesn’t seem to care about that—it’s all about the age of the vehicle.

But hold on! Things might be about to change, and this change could offer much-needed relief to car owners like you.

The government is now considering a major shift in how it approaches older vehicles. Instead of focusing purely on the age of your car, the new focus could be on how much pollution it emits. This means that as long as your vehicle is well-maintained and isn’t causing environmental damage, you might not have to worry about scrapping it anymore!

This shift was hinted at during the recent SIAM convention. Anurag Jain, the Secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, brought up a key concern many car owners share: why should well-maintained vehicles be scrapped just because they’ve hit a certain age? "You can’t simply mandate scrapping based on age," Jain said, acknowledging the frustration many car owners feel when faced with this rule.

Jain went on to explain that the government is now working on a new policy that will prioritize pollution levels instead of age. And said "We are focusing solely on pollution,". This means that instead of being forced to part with your car after 15 years, you might just need to ensure it passes pollution tests, allowing you to continue driving it if it meets the required standards.

But here’s the catch: for this to work, there needs to be a reliable and trustworthy pollution testing system in place. Jain called on the automobile industry to help develop a more reliable system that ensures only cars that are truly within the safe pollution limits are allowed on the road.

Despite the challenges, Jain praised the industry for its support of the current scrappage policy, which offers car owners discounts of up to 3% on new purchases when they scrap their old vehicles. While this system has encouraged some to upgrade, the proposed changes could offer more flexibility for those who prefer to keep their well-maintained cars on the road a little longer.

Now, let’s take a quick look at the current rules:

Under the Motor Vehicle Act of 1988, every vehicle must have a valid Registration Certificate (RC) to be legally driven on public roads. The RC is valid for 15 years from the date of issue, and after that, it needs to be renewed every five years, provided the vehicle passes a fitness test. Driving with an expired RC can lead to hefty fines or even legal action.

Each state has its own additional rules for older cars. For example, in Delhi NCR, petrol vehicles over 15 years and diesel vehicles over 10 years are banned from the roads. Maharashtra allows renewal after 15 years, but vehicles must pass fitness tests every five years. States like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal have similar policies, with some added restrictions in environmentally sensitive zones.

If the new pollution-based policy is implemented, it could be a game-changer for many car owners. Instead of worrying about your car’s age, you’ll only need to focus on how green it is. So, if you’ve been dreading that 15-year mark, this new direction could bring some welcome peace of mind. Your car’s future might soon depend on how clean it runs, not how long it’s been on the road!
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