As many as 13,000 vehicles, government and private, will be forced off the road under a vehicle scrappage policy, which received the nod of the state cabinet today.
Briefing reporters afterwards, government spokesperson and cabinet minister Paul Lyngdoh said that 8,000 private vehicles and 5,000 government ones will be targetted in the first phase of this policy.
Removing old clunkers off the streets is in line with a national initiative to tackle vehicular pollution, reduce fuel consumption, etc – older vehicles typically create more air pollution and are less fuel efficient, though this is by no means always the case.
Currently, Shillong has around 2,76,262 registered vehicles, followed by Tura and Jowai. With pollution levels becoming a growing concern, especially due to aging vehicles, the state government has decided to begin the scrappage policy in a phased manner.
Considering the economic condition of the people, Lyngdoh informed that the policy will first target government-owned vehicles that are 15 years and older. “This will amount to around 5,000 government vehicles being taken off the road,” he added.
For privately-owned vehicles, the government has decided to initially limit the policy to those that are 35 years (i.e. 1990) and older. There are an estimated 8,000 such vehicles across the state.
The government is hoping that this move will contribute significantly to improving the state’s air quality and overall environmental health.
Meanwhile, the cabinet also approved service rules of the Directorate of Civil Defence and Home Guards, and the introduction of new service rules for AYUSH practitioners.
The cabinet approved the creation of a separate post of Director of Civil Defence. Until now, the responsibilities of this post were being handled by the Commandant General of Home Guards.
