Keep, sell or scrap your 15 to 49-year old automobile

However, the Transport Ministry proposes to tax these with much escalated fitness and re-registration fees with the five year fitness to be undergone in designated automated fitness testing centres.

BHPian anjan_c2007 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

A new notification is soon expected from the Union Transport and Highways Ministry which will deal with scrapping of 15-49 year old automobiles. It will also enumerate norms with regard to fitness and re-registration for 15-49 year old motor vehicles. And here, since we discuss the car scene, we can write about our future action plan for any such old car (private ownership only) that we could be owning right now. The scrapping policy as was notified earlier in the draft notification had proposed that the date from which it would take effect would be 01.10.2021. If we go by media reports, they say the scrapping policy is soon awaited with no "sugar daddy" approach for the oldies, since these have been labelled as polluting en masse, though mischeviously and falsely by all concerned in the corridors of power. But the information gathered is that the once thought of "compulsory scrapping" for any automobile in this 15-49 age group is now passe and is not being thought of. However, the Transport Ministry proposes to tax these with much escalated fitness and re-registration fees with the five year fitness to be undergone in designated automated fitness testing centres. Fifty plus year olds are already officially notified as "vintages" and the owners need not worry at all about their future, which is so secure that even astrologer's predictions could fail in their respect.

Hence, to reveal my plans, I would firstly say that I will cross the river when I come to it. Next to reveal my plan, in my garage I have only one 34 year old Maruti 800 (SB308) in this category that is not going anywhere and shall remain fit and running with me always.

Here's what BHPian Ashley Nair had to say on the matter:

My Bolero DI Turbo is due for retest next month. It has run only 1,15,000 kms and is in excellent condition. He has carried me for these years faithfully without even a single wayside breakdown and so in return, I intend to carry him forward, come whatever may. Point.

Here's what BHPian Sanidhya mukund had to say on the matter:

My Ford Ikon is still as dear to me as it was 20 years ago. It was my primary car for 14 years and served as the secondary car between 2014-2019. The implementation of the NGT rule in NCR put an end to its dream run of 19 years. Not being able to run on the public roads pretty much renders a vehicle useless. However, that does not mean that the vehicle has become irrelevant; it is still very close to my heart and is in great mechanical health. It is also pretty original and would easily be able to serve as a city car for years to come. It’s ride and handling balance are still very impressive and there are few cars that can match it for steering feel.

Not being able to run it on the roads makes it a pain for me to maintain it. I had recently faced a severe ant infestation in the car. But despite this, I am willing to keep this car. If all else fails, I might send it away to my native place where the car is registered and can thus run without any issues.

This is how the 2 decade old looks now:

Here's what BHPian Shreyans_Jain had to say on the matter:

Scrapping is pretty much the only option for us NCR people stuck with 10+ year old cars. Can’t use them and can’t sell them, the RC can no longer be transferred. The new owner will keep running the car in your name, and you will be responsible if something, anything happens. I scrapped my 15 year old 2.6 DI Scorpio last month. It had done over 4.5L km, but had been cooling its heels in my factory compound for quite some time now. We waited and waited for a formal scrappage policy to be implemented but that never happened.

You either sell the car off inside the 10 year window and ensure the RC transfer goes through. Otherwise, you have to scrap it for whatever money you can. And mind you, there is no clarity on exactly how much rebate or any other benefit you’ll get. I only have a certificate of destruction from an government authorised scrap yard to show for it. The benefits are just proposals as of now.

Here's what BHPian supremeBaleno had to say on the matter:

My 2005 Baleno 1.6 completed 16 years last March. Fitness done till 2025. Still the FTD car she was while new & in 2021 alone I did a solo KL-Chennai 1500 km to & fro trip and a family North Kerala 1000 km trip, apart from daily running around.

I was planning to keep her atleast till 2025 & then decide. But wife is insisting on a small AT car for her. And we neither have the need for 2 cars nor do I want to be spending time/effort on maintaining 2 cars. If we end up buying a car for her, I might sell her off or keep as a hobby car - hence voted Undecided.

At sweet 16, this is how she looks. Does she look like she has to be scrapped?

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

My Jeep is turning 25 in Feb '22. I don't think there will be a country-wide ban on 15+ year old cars as India's car penetration levels are very poor (40 / 1000 citizens vs 800 / 1000 in developed countries) and 20-year old cars can offer lots of utility at cheap prices in semi-urban & rural India.

That said, Bombay could follow Delhi's lead and ban 10+ year old cars. The current state government is very aggressive. If that happens, as Sanidhya Mukund did, I would probably just keep my Jeep as a work-of-art parked permanently in my building. Don't have any parking spot issues as of now (until I buy a few more cars I have my eyes set on), and I'm tied to it legally. Like the ex-spouse who won't give you a divorce, my Jeep has been behaving the same way.

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