It is learnt that from April 2022 vehicle owners will have to pay a whopping eight times more fee for renewal of vehicles which are 15-year-old or more. This will reportedly also be applicable to commercial heavy vehicle owners for the renewal of fitness certificates for trucks and buses. As a result of this, owners of a 15-year-old or more bus or truck will have to pay a whopping 12,500 for renewal registration compared to the current rate of Rs. 1,500. This is a step in the right direction as there are several old vehicles on the roads, especially rickety buses, which pose a risk to the travelling public due to poor maintenance. However it would be justified to ban all diesel vehicles which are ten years old or more and petrol vehicles which are 15-years-old or more as is the case in Delhi and neighbouring areas which have to deal with immense air pollution. On the contrary hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles and those running on alternate fuel like CNG, ethanol and LPG need to be encouraged in order to stop air pollution.
