Pune: India’s voluntary vehicle scrappage policy, announced in 2021, had one key aim: incentivise the public to scientifically scrap their ageing, unfit vehicles. But Pune has seen little uptake of the policy, with only 2,897 vehicles sent for scrapping since 2024, suggesting that scores of old vehicles — many of them polluting — are likely still in circulation on the city’s roads.RTO data from the city shows the total number includes 1,920 cars and 930 two-wheelers. The low number of scrapped two-wheelers is particularly significant as bikes and scooters make up the largest share of Pune’s vehicle population. The data also showed scrapping in other vehicle categories remained in the single digits, except for some vehicles with engine capacities below 25cc, of which only 14 were scrapped.“Pune has over 44.9 lakh registered vehicles. More than 30.7 lakh are two-wheelers, followed by more than 9.45 lakh private cars. With numbers this high, the fact that vehicle scrapping numbers are so low proves the majority of people either don’t know how to go about scrapping their vehicles or simply don’t want to do so,” Pune deputy RTO Swapnil Bhosle told TOI.Private two-wheelers and cars become eligible for scrapping after 15 years, commercial vehicles after a similar age. But Rajan Junavane, president of Pune district bus and car owners’ association, said that in metro cities, commercial vehicles are not allowed to operate after eight years due to high mileage. “There were talks of commercial vehicles not being allowed to operate after 15 years nationwide, however, transporters today move these vehicles to smaller cities (tier-2, tier-3) where they run them after paying the green tax.”“The policy is not mandatory,” a state transport department official said. “Owners can continue to operate their vehicles if they have the right documents, including the pollution certificate. To discourage prolonged use, a green tax is charged: Rs 5,000 for two-wheelers, Rs 3,500 for diesel four-wheelers and Rs 3,000 for petrol cars,” the official added.For commercial vehicles, the green tax varies according to make and model. The tax is valid for five years, after which the vehicle has to be re-registered and taxes paid again. Delayed payments attract an additional fine every month, the transport official said.Officials said one reason for the low numbers was the resale of old two-wheelers in rural areas. “We know that many two-wheeler owners tend to do this. They get a decent price in rural areas, and people in villages don’t really mind using old bikes for their personal use. We also know of cases in which these old bikes were just abandoned after use,” Bhosle said.Officials said vehicle owners interested in scrapping can reach out to specialised facilities, which issue a Certificate of Deposit (COD) that can be used to avail incentives during purchase of a new vehicle. The COD allows such owners to claim a 15% discount on the price of a new vehicle. The benefit is also not restricted to a vehicle of the same category. For instance, a person scrapping a small car can use the COD while purchasing a bigger vehicle.But some owners TOI spoke to said the economics of replacing an old but functional vehicle was not always favourable. “For instance, I have a bike that’s nearly 16 years old but I have maintained it properly and it works just fine. If I scrap it, I might get a 15% discount, but most two-wheelers these days cost more than Rs 1 lakh,” said a Yerawada resident who works as an office clerk.He added: “My brother bought a bike in 2016 for Rs 55,000. The same model, now upgraded, costs Rs 1 lakh. Many people like us cannot afford to buy one without taking a two-wheeler loan.”
