Old govt vehicles to go off roads

The State Transport Commissioner has directed the regional transport officers to submit a report on the number of government departmental vehicles which are older than 15 years or going to cross 15 years as of March 31 this year following the Union ministry of road transport and highways (MORTH) direction to phase out vehicles older than 15 years.

In a circular, the commissioner directed the zonal officers to instruct the RTOs of their zone to send the condemnation proposal in respect of the vehicles which are more than 15 years from the date of registration immediately to his office and also the list of vehicles which are going to cross 15 years as on March 31.

As per the Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicles Maintenance Department, there are nearly 21, 400 government departmental vehicles plying throughout the State.

The MORTH had issued a draft notification dated March 12 last year to disallow re-registration of government vehicles older than 15 years. As per the proposal, all vehicles belonging to the central and state governments, Union Territories, local government institutions, PSUs, STUs, and other autonomous bodies with the central and state governments, have been put under the ambit of this new proposed amendment to the Central Motor Rules (1989).