Karnataka gets first Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility

Karnataka's first Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility (RVSF) has just opened at Vijayapura on the outskirts of Bengaluru. 

The Transport Department on Thursday approved the RVSF set up by Mahindra CERO, a joint venture between central PSU MSTC Ltd and Mahindra Accelo. 

As per Karnataka's 2022 Registered Vehicle Scrapping Policy, vehicles registered in the state must be scrapped only at authorised RVSFs. 

Sixty-five RVSFs have been opened across the country. Karnataka will open two more this year, at Koratagere and Koppal, the Transport Department said. 

Citizens can voluntarily scrap their vehicles at the Vijayapura RVSF because Karnataka hasn't made it mandatory to scrap private vehicles that are 15 years or older. 

"From tomorrow itself, citizens can take their overage vehicles to the RVSF in Vijayapura and submit them for scrappage," C Mallikarjuna, Additional Commissioner of Transport (Enforcement, South), told DH. 

Transport authorities are also working out the modalities of opening collection centres in Bengaluru where overage vehicles can be submitted for scrappage. They are also making changes to the software to enable the generation of Certificates of Deposit (COD). Vehicle owners will get the CODs once they submit the vehicle for scrappage. They can redeem these certificates to get tax concessions to buy new vehicles. 

Karnataka has mandated scrapping all government-owned vehicles that are 15 years or older. 

Mallikarjuna said that the state needed to scrap nearly 15,000 government-owned overage vehicles or about 5,000 by March. "We have requested the union government for permission to phase out overage government vehicles in the next three or four years," he added. 

As per the policy, approximately 14.3 lakh vehicles are fit for scrapping in Karnataka, while another 66 lakh vehicles will turn 15 years or older in the next five years. 

Transport Department data for 2022-23 shows that Karnataka has 91.58 lakh vehicles that are 15 years or older, including 33 lakh in Bengaluru alone. But not all these vehicles are fit for scrapping. They can ply so long as they have fitness certificates and renew their Registration Certificates (RCs). 

Overage vehicles 

As of March 31, 2023, Karnataka had 91,58,577 vehicles that were 15 years or older. 

Two-wheelers: 59,95,250
Cars: 1,45,760
Passenger autos: 3,21,793
Goods vehicles: 2,93,675
Trucks & lorries: 2,88,014
Tractors: 2,47,120
Goods autos: 84,345
Motor cabs: 71,632
Buses: 62,584
Maxi cabs: 47,892

* Karnataka's vehicle population (as of Aug 31, 2023): 3,05,28,518
* Bengaluru's vehicle population (as of Aug 31, 2023): 1,11,95,222