A clean mobility project of ₹9,585 crore has been approved by the Union Cabinet, which is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The scheme’s objectives are to reduce air pollution in the Delhi-National Capital Region and speed up the replacement of vehicles.
This two-year program is part of the government’s larger effort to improve air quality and encourage sustainable mobility by providing financial incentives to truck and bus owners who have upgraded to cleaner BS-VI-compliant or electric vehicles (EVs) from older models that conform with BS-IV or previous emission regulations.
The total budget for the scheme is ₹9,585 crore, with the Central Government contributing ₹5,041 crore and the participating state governments contributing an estimated ₹1,601 crore in tax concessions.
In collaboration with the states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) within the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs will provide funding for the project, while the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas will carry it out.
Around 2.07 lakh vehicle owners, including about 1.91 lakh trucks and 16,329 buses operating in the Delhi-NCR region, are likely to profit from the initiative, according to the government.
To participate in the program, you must take your vehicle to a registered vehicle scrapping facility if it is BS-III or older. In cities and towns that are not part of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), BS-IV vehicles can be sold or demolished. A BS-VI or more stringently compliant car, or an electric vehicle, registered within NCR is required of eligible owners thereafter.
The scheme has some requirements in Delhi, such as the fact that all light goods vehicles bought through it must be electric and that buses can only be in BS-VI CNG or electric versions. The scheme does not apply to automobiles that are owned by the government.
Monthly fuel coupons up to ₹4,800 based on vehicle category, a 5% interest subvention on car loans for five years, and lump-sum incentives tied to EV purchases or Certificate of Deposit trading are all ways the Centre plans to encourage participation.
Governments around the country are throwing their weight behind the program by waiving registration fees and offering steep tax breaks—up to 100% for new cars and 50% for used ones—for a whole decade. All outstanding debts on used cars that are part of the program will also be forgiven.
Plus, for qualified automobiles, partner automakers will slash costs by 8 percent off the sticker price.
Eligibility verification, automatic reward processing, issuance of fuel vouchers, and monitoring of environmental outcomes will all be made possible through a digital platform that will administer the entire program.
The program will provide long-term support for car owners by keeping central advantages for five years from the date of registration of the new vehicle, while enrolment will be open for two years.
In the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), where air pollution is still a big problem for public health, the government is hoping that this program will help cut down on vehicle emissions, speed up the transition to cleaner transportation options, and improve air quality in the long run.
IMage: MSN.com
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