Authorities begin exercise to remove older commercial vehicles as part of NCR pollution control
The Rohtak transport administration has launched an exercise to take 3,757 old commercial vehicles off the road as part of a Central Government scheme aimed at curbing vehicular pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR), officials said.
The vehicles identified include trucks and buses falling in the Bharat Stage I to Bharat Stage IV (BS-I to BS-IV) emission categories. Notices will be issued to owners directing them to dispose of or replace these vehicles according to the prescribed procedure, the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) said.
BS-I, BS-II and BS-III vehicles that are found operating on roads in the NCR will be required to be sent to authorised vehicle scrapping centres, while owners of BS-IV commercial vehicles will have alternative options, the RTA added.
“BS-I, BS-II and BS-III trucks and buses found operating on roads will be sent to authorised vehicle scrapping centres. Owners of BS-IV commercial vehicles will have the option of either selling their vehicles outside the NCR or registering on the Transport Department’s Parivartan Scheme portal to replace them with BS-VI or electric vehicles,” said Virender Singh Dhull, Secretary, Regional Transport Authority (RTA).
So far, only 35 vehicle owners have registered on the Parivartan Scheme portal, the RTA reported, and remaining eligible owners have been urged to register at the earliest to avail themselves of the scheme benefits.
- Vehicles in BS-I to BS-III categories: to be scrapped at authorised centres.
- BS-IV commercial vehicle owners: option to sell outside the NCR or register for replacement under the Parivartan Scheme.
- Registration on the scheme portal is necessary to claim incentives; uptake has been limited to date.
The scheme includes financial incentives intended to encourage the replacement of older, more polluting commercial vehicles with BS-VI-compliant or electric alternatives. The RTA set out the following incentives and benefits that eligible owners may receive:
| Incentive | Details |
|---|---|
| Motor vehicle tax exemption | Up to 50% exemption for eligible replacement vehicles; 100% exemption for BS-VI or electric vehicles for up to 10 years, subject to eligibility and conditions. |
| Interest assistance | Up to 5% assistance on loans taken for purchasing new vehicles. |
| Manufacturer discounts | May provide discounts of up to 8%. |
| Additional incentives | One-time financial incentives are also available for BS-VI diesel and electric vehicles. |
Officials said the aim is to accelerate the replacement of older polluting commercial vehicles within the NCR, which comprises several adjoining districts whose collective air quality impacts the national capital. The RTA emphasised that only vehicles processed through authorised scrapping centres or properly deregistered and sold outside the NCR will meet the scheme requirements.
Transport department authorities in Rohtak have appealed to vehicle owners to take timely action to benefit from the financial support on offer and to avoid penalties or legal action for non-compliance once notices are issued. The low initial registration figures indicate owners may need clearer information about the portal and the documentation required to participate.
RTA officials did not provide an implementation timeline for the complete phase-out of the 3,757 vehicles or details of enforcement milestones, but the move aligns with central government efforts to reduce vehicular emissions across the NCR by incentivising newer emission-compliant and electric vehicles.
