West Bengal Moves to Scrap Aged Commercial Vehicles

The West Bengal Transport department mandates scrapping private commercial vehicles older than 15 years at Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility centers in Kolkata and Howrah to combat pollution. The Calcutta High Court's 2009 order supports this move. The transport sector faces difficulties, with a request for a two-year scrapping window due to the impact of COVID-19.

The West Bengal Transport Department has instructed private commercial vehicle owners in Kolkata and Howrah to scrap vehicles exceeding 15 years old at Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility (RVSF) centers, aimed at curbing air pollution.

The directive aligns with a 2009 Calcutta High Court order prohibiting 15-year-old commercial vehicles from operating in these cities. Properly scrapped vehicles will allow owners to run new ones using the same permits, according to the state government.

Transport Secretary Saumitra Mohan highlighted replacement challenges, noting issues when vehicles are scrapped without notifying authorities. Exceptions will apply if no RVSF is within 25 km of the registering authority's office, with scrapping in the presence of an authorized official.

The department recommended calculating tax, fees, and penalties for vehicles nearing 15 years from registration. The Joint Council of Bus Syndicate requested a two-year scrapping window, citing the transport sector's 'comatose' state amid COVID-19. The government’s restrictive measures further complicate the situation with 30,000 private buses in the area, less than five percent of 15-year-old buses meeting replacement or compliance standards.