15 yr+ buses & cabs to get new life after retirement
Times of India | 11 June 2025
Kolkata: In a major policy shift, the state govt is set to relax its 15-year limit on commercial vehicles, particularly buses, opting instead for a more nuanced approach based on vehicle condition and environmental impact. The revised notification will come into effect following the court's final directive, expected on June 17, when the state transport department presents a modified notification before Justice Rai Chattopadhyay of the Calcutta High Court.The decision follows prolonged legal and stakeholder engagement, triggered by a petition from six major bus operators' associations. These groups challenged the blanket ban on vehicles older than 15 years, originally enforced through a 2008 High Court order and reinforced by subsequent government circulars, which mandated the automatic scrapping of such vehicles regardless of their condition.According to the modified policy framework, all passenger vehicles aged 15 years or more will now have to pass biannual fitness and emission tests to qualify for operation. Each fitness test will cost the vehicle owner Rs 12,500, with additional fees for emissions testing. If a vehicle is found to be in poor mechanical or environmental health, it will be declared unfit and taken off the road."This is a balanced decision. We welcome the state's move and are ready to undergo the required tests," said Titu Saha, spokesperson of one of the petitioning bus operators' bodies. This shift aligns Bengal's policy with the 2021 ministry of road transport and highways guidelines, which states that a vehicle's end-of-life status should only be determined after assessing its safety and pollution compliance and not just age.The policy revision comes in response to a May 22 court directive where Justice Chattopadhyay asked the transport department to find a middle ground that considers both public interest and the concerns of private bus operators. The department held detailed meetings with six stakeholders.The previous automatic-scrapping policy drew flak from transport stakeholders, especially as many Bharat Stage-IV compliant buses were facing de-registration solely due to age. Operators argued that such vehicles were technologically superior to many still in service and should not be scrapped arbitrarily.If implemented well, this revised policy could serve as a model for other states grappling with similar challenges — balancing public health and environmental goals with the economic realities of public transport, said a transport department officer. The court is expected to take note of Monday's consensus between the state and transport operators and give a final nod to the new policy framework on June 17.