Get ready to shell out more money for RC renewal, fitness certificate for vehicles older than 15 years

Coming to registration renewal, two-wheelers fee hiked to Rs 1,000, LMV increased to Rs 5,000, Medium Goods Vehicles and PVs increased to Rs 1, 000 and Heavy Goods Vehicles and PVs increased to Rs 1,500.

The ministry has also proposed to increase the registration cost of new two-wheelers to Rs 300, new LMV to Rs 600, new medium goods trucks and PVs to Rs 1,000 and heavy goods trucks to Rs 1,500.

The development comes close on heels of the voluntary vehicle scrapping policy announced in the Union Budget on February 1 for 2021-22 which provides for fitness test after 20 years for personal vehicles while commercial vehicles would require it after the completion of 15 years.

Notification of the draft rules has been issued to this effect on March 12 by the ministry seeking comments, objections and suggestions from the stakeholders within thirty days.

Presenting the Union Budget for 2021-22 in Parliament, union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1 had announced vehicle scrapping policy.

Road, transport, highways and MSMEs minister Nitin Gadkari had said initially one crore vehicles will go for scrapping and the policy will lead to new investments of around Rs 10,000 crore and create as many as 50,000 jobs. These old vehicles are estimated to cause 10-12 times more pollution than the latest vehicles.

The government had earlier said it plans to impose green tax on old polluting vehicles soon in a bid to protect the environment and curb pollution while vehicles like strong hybrids, electric vehicles and those running on alternate fuels like CNG, ethanol and LPG will be exempted. The revenue collected through the green tax will be utilised for tackling pollution.