Meghalaya govt assures vintage vehicles won't be scapped

Shillong, May 6: Meghalaya government on Monday clarified that the "vintage" vehicles would be exempted from its Vehicle Scrapping policy, which seeks to address environmental concerns and also modernise the State's vehicle fleet.

This clarification was necessitated primarily because the State has a private transport system, which is at the heart of rural transportation, but some are outdated.

The buses with bodies made of wood are the soul of some of the rural folks in the State, and concerns have been raised whether these too would come under the new policy.

The Transport department has said that vehicles registered as "vintage" under section 81A of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, will be exempt from scrapping.

However, this provision is somewhat vague and refers primarily to old imported vehicles (not for commercial purposes), and they must adhere to safety and regulatory requirements for public road use.

However, the department highlighted several advantages of the policy, informing that Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities (RVSFs) would be established to ensure scientific and environmentally responsible handling of "end-of-life vehicles".

Vehicle owners complying with the policy would also get financial benefits. Vehicle owners who choose to scrap their old vehicles will receive a Certificate of Deposit (CoD), which can be traded while purchasing a new vehicle.

In addition, those purchasing BS VI-compliant or electric vehicles after scrapping their old vehicles would be eligible for a full waiver on registration fees and motor vehicle tax rebates of up to 25 per cent for non-transport vehicles and 15 per cent for transport vehicles.

Under the policy, government-owned vehicles over 15 years old would be scrapped at RVSFs. For private and commercial vehicles, the age limit is 35 years, which needs to be scrapped if these fail fitness standards.