The ministry of road transport and highways may ban commercial vehicles older than 10 years from plying on roads if a proposal under its consideration is implemented. The move will affect 35% of goods transport vehicles operating in the country.
The suggestion is a part of recommendations of a committee formed last year to propose changes in the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988. ?The committee has submitted its recommendations. The most important suggestion is to stop commercial vehicles more than 10-year old from operating as stage carriage,? a senior official in the ministry told FE .At present, there is no age limit for the commercial vehicles to ply on roads.
More than 45 lakh goods transport vehicles are operating in the country. Of these, nearly 16 lakh are older than 10 years. ?We are against such move unless the Centre gives some kind of subsidy to finance the new vehicles as the West Bengal government has done,? All-India Motor Transport Congress? (AIMTC) managing committee member O P Agarwal said. He said transporters get subsidy of Rs 2.5 lakh to purchase a new vehicle.
Agarwal said the issue has to be discussed with states and other stakeholders before implementation. ?We are organising a convention on February 18 in Bangalore and have invited road transport and highways minister Kamal Nath and officials from states there. We will discuss this issue at the convention,? he added.
In September 2009, Nath constituted a committee headed by former transport secretary S Sundar to suggest changes in the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 to make it up-to-date. The committee had 10 members, including IIT Delhi professor Dinesh Mohan, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers director-general Dilip Chenoy and road transport and highways joint secretary S K Dash.