Bengaluru has 34 lakh vehicles over 15 years old; just 0.07% scrapped state-wide in 2 years: Report

Bengaluru has 34 lakh vehicles over 15 years old, but only 0.07 per cent of eligible vehicles have been scrapped over the past two years across the state.

Despite Karnataka’s push to remove old, polluting vehicles from its roads, the state's vehicle scrapping initiative has seen a tepid response. Introduced in line with national guidelines aimed at phasing out vehicles over 15 years old, the policy has failed to gain traction, with a mere 0.07 per cent of eligible vehicles scrapped in the last two years.

Bengaluru has 34 lakh vehicles over 15 years old, and despite incentives, compliance remains low due to voluntary participation and lack of awareness. (Amal KS/HT PHOTO)

At the heart of this challenge is Bengaluru, where the number of vehicles older than 15 years has reached a staggering 34 lakh. This includes 21 lakh two-wheelers, 7 lakh cars, and 6 lakh other vehicles, making the city a hotspot for ageing transport, the Bangalore Mirror reported. Statewide, there are nearly 1 crore vehicles, private and government-owned, that have crossed the 15-year mark.

The government has rolled out several incentives to encourage owners, including road tax rebates of up to 25 per cent for non-transport vehicles and cash discounts on the purchase of new vehicles. Yet, these offers have done little to motivate owners to retire their ageing automobiles.

Environmental activists argued that the sluggish adoption reflects a larger problem, which is a lack of awareness and inefficient enforcement of rules.