India's Plan To Recycle Millions Of Old Cars Has To Overcome This Problem

The public's lack of interest in getting rid of polluting vehicles is a potential setback for India's ambitions to turn net carbon zero by 2070.

India's plan to remove millions of older polluting cars from its roads in an effort to clear some of the world's most toxic air looks set to face several challenges with a new survey showing the majority of vehicle owners aren't interested in trading in their automobile based on age.

Some 57% of 10,543 vehicle owners surveyed by LocalCircles say whether a car should be removed from service or not should depend on miles on the odometer rather than age. The government last year mandated that personal vehicles more than 20 years old and commercial vehicles more than 15 years old will need to undergo fitness tests in order to remain on the road.

In addition, just over half of consumers surveyed said they're planning to reduce the number of cars they own because they believe India's cash-for-clunkers policy will make it more expensive to keep an old vehicle. Authorities have made auto fitness tests more expensive since April, with owners of cars that are older than 15 years now having to spend eight times more to renew their registration.

The public's lack of interest in getting rid of polluting vehicles is a potential setback for India's ambitions to turn net carbon zero by 2070. Recycling old cars is crucial for India to cut emissions considering the take up of electric vehicles is lagging due to sparse charging networks and the high price of battery-powered transport. The nation's Centre for Science and Environment(CSE) forecasts that by 2025, India will have as many as 20 million old vehicles nearing the end of their lives, causing huge environmental damage.