NEW DELHI: Keeping your vehicle for over 20 years could soon come with a hefty price tag. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued a draft notification proposing significant increases in the registration renewal fees for vehicles older than 20 years. This move aims to discourage the retention of vehicles manufactured before the BS-II emission standards were enforced.
Under the proposed changes, the renewal fee for motorcycles older than 20 years would rise to Rs 2,000, while the fee for cars would jump to Rs 10,000. The draft also focuses on phasing out commercial medium and heavy vehicles older than 15 years, with proposed renewal fees of Rs 12,000 for medium vehicles and Rs 18,000 for heavy vehicles. For vehicles older than 20 years, these fees would double, reaching Rs 24,000 and Rs 36,000 respectively.
While the new fees would apply across the country, they would not affect Delhi-NCR, where a court order mandates the scrapping of diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years.
In October 2021, the ministry had already increased registration and renewal fees for motorcycles, three-wheelers, and cars but excluded medium and heavy passenger and goods vehicles. “We haven’t changed the renewal fees for private vehicles after they turn 15. However, we are proposing new fees for commercial vehicles older than 15 years and significant increases for those registered over 20 years ago,” said a transport ministry official.
The ministry has also proposed a doubling of fitness test fees for both private and commercial vehicles older than 20 years. The All India Motor Transport Congress has opposed the “sudden and excessive” hike in these fees. Currently, fitness test fees range from Rs 500 to Rs 1,500 for most vehicles, with heavy transport vehicles paying a maximum of Rs 3,000. However, under the new proposal, fitness tests for commercial motorcycles could cost Rs 1,000 for those aged 8 to 15 years and Rs 2,000 for those older than 15 years. Similarly, fitness tests for three-wheelers and heavy vehicles could range from Rs 7,000 to Rs 25,000. The Congress has called for the withdrawal of the draft notification.
