New Delhi: The Union government has officially doubled the old vehicle registration renewal cost for vehicles aged over 20 years across India, excluding the National Capital Region (NCR). The revised charges were announced through a gazette notification issued on Wednesday after amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.
According to the new rules, the registration renewal fee for motorcycles older than 15 years is now ₹2,000, for three-wheelers ₹5,000, and for light motor vehicles ₹10,000. Imported two- or three-wheelers older than 20 years will attract a fee of ₹20,000, while imported four-wheelers will face a hefty ₹80,000 renewal charge. All the mentioned fees are exclusive of GST.
The notification is part of the government’s strategy to encourage owners of end-of-life vehicles to shift towards newer, more fuel-efficient, and environment-friendly models.
Old Vehicle Registration Renewal Cost Hiked to Push Cleaner Mobility
The government’s decision to raise the renewal charges is aimed at discouraging the use of older vehicles that typically contribute to higher levels of pollution. This move is expected to complement India’s broader policy of phasing out polluting vehicles and promoting green mobility.
In Delhi-NCR, however, such renewals will not apply due to an existing Supreme Court directive from 2018 which enforced a ban on petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years. Currently, the issue is under review by the Supreme Court once again, with an interim order instructing authorities not to take coercive action against owners of such vehicles until further directions are issued.
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Aadhaar Linking for Vahan and Sarathi Portals
In a parallel move, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has initiated the process of Aadhaar authentication for vehicle owners and driving licence holders. From August onwards, SMS alerts have been sent to citizens, requesting them to update and verify their mobile numbers in the Vahan and Sarathi databases through Aadhaar-based verification.
The ministry noted that many vehicle owners and licence holders have not updated their contact details, resulting in important service alerts, statutory notices, and compliance reminders not reaching them. To address this, the National Informatics Centre (NIC) has been tasked with updating mobile numbers in the system to ensure smooth communication.
Privacy Concerns Over Aadhaar Authentication
The move to link Aadhaar with transport services has sparked privacy concerns. The Software Freedom Law Centre (SFLC), a non-profit advocating for digital rights, has written to the ministry urging it to provide alternative mechanisms without mandatory Aadhaar linkage.
SFLC cited the Supreme Court’s K.S. Puttaswamy vs Union of India (2018) judgment, which upheld that Aadhaar authentication should remain voluntary and not a precondition for accessing essential services. The organization has also requested MoRTH to ensure that transport-related services remain accessible without Aadhaar to avoid indirect compulsion on citizens.
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