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I double checked with my dad. This relative did indeed get their fitness certificate renewed for 5 years. I'm guessing it's the same process as arjab outlines above. Sounds promising to me, common sense prevailing when it comes to low usage, well kept older cars.

[rajiv.agrawal]

Originally Posted by digitalnirvana

Ok as expected the ban is now applicable in Kolkata and Howrah as well. Members who have 15 year old cars, what's the plan? Sell now for pittance or wait and watch? Or scrap?

It's an absolutely ridiculous decision to club commercial and private vehicles as equally polluting.

I just learnt that in the US, people owning cars even as recent as from the 80s, and want to use it, even though they have gone beyond the use-by period, can get 'classic number plates'; I am sure it means different taxes, registration in a different file at the RTO, etc; thereafter, they can use it normally, and emissions are considered up-to date.

[SnakemanJohny]

The ban is not in place yet. The WB government has asked for more time from the Supreme Court, as it involves a large number of vehicles, and many owners.

If it is done, the cancellation will affect all motor vehicles in the whole of West Bengal, or at least in the Greater Calcutta area -- Howrah, Hooghly, North & South 24 Parganas.

You can still get fitness renewed for five more years.

In India too, you can get classic registration for vehicles more than fifty years old

[anjan_c2007]

Originally Posted by rajiv.agrawal

I just learnt that in the US, people owning cars even as recent as from the 80s, and want to use it, even though they have gone beyond the use-by period, can get 'classic number plates';

Different states in the US have different laws. Many states have accorded "Historic Vehicle" status to motor vehicles older than 30 years. In some parking lots in the US, such vintages have earmarked slots. In Germany vehicles older than 30 years are accorded the status of "Young Timers." All civilised countries in Europe, including the U. K. and also Australia accord such accredited status to 30 year or older motor vehicles.

Originally Posted by SnakemanJohny

The ban is not in place yet. The WB government has asked for more time from the Supreme Court, as it involves a large number of vehicles, and many owners.

If it is done, the cancellation will affect all motor vehicles in the whole of West Bengal, or at least in the Greater Calcutta area -- Howrah, Hooghly, North & South 24 Parganas.

We hope to read the full news content of this new development. The W. B. government could have sought more time from the NGT Bench at Kolkata itself, expressing difficulties in such implementation.

If at all the W. B. government has moved an appeal to the Apex Court, it should have also challenged the NGT, Kolkata's decision pointwise, expressing reservations in the ruling. It is plainly absurd to label every motor vehicle older than 15 years as polluting, even if that's maintained in excellent condition or else has just run a few thousand kms.

[samyakmodi]

OT :: Totally different point of view - please don't stone me for it but do try and understand what I am trying to say :-
Although all of us here are petrolheads and would feel bad about retiring/scrapping of cars which are just 15 years old, but we need to look beyond what we feel and try and imagine the larger picture.
We the petrolheads are absolutely meticulous about our vehicles, old and new alike, and would be absolutely vigilant about any kind of smoke coming out of the exhaust pipes - but that alas is not true for 99% of the people around us who wouldn't give any hoot to any kind of things coming out of their vehicles. We can not educate them at all about maintaining their vehicles or for anything else as well.
I am sure all of us would agree that the newer vehicles are more fuel efficient and less polluting. Also, we all would agree that climate changes are happening faster than what was ever anticipated. Keeping all that in mind, how does using older and more polluting vehicles make sense?
When people would be forced to buy a new(er) vehicle - they will consider public transport systems as well if they can not afford a new vehicle right away, which in turn might mean lesser traffic on the roads and would result in lesser congestions and lesser pollution as well.

I am pretty sure there would be some provision for getting an older vehicle's fitness test done so that people like you and me who love their vehicles can get them tested and if found good enough can keep using them as well.

I for one would rather have my kids breath fresh clean air and no car, instead have an old rusty relic of a car with no clean air to breath.