Only 10% vehicles being scrapped at registered centre in Chandigarh

Gopal Krishan, the owner of the RVSF, said, “There are multiple reasons why vehicle owners prefer local scrappers over our authorised centre. Firstly, there is not much awareness about the existence of an authorised scrapping centre, and secondly, people don’t know the multiple benefits of scrapping their vehicles through an RVSF.”

He explained that if someone scraps their vehicle at the RVSF, all traffic violation challans against that vehicle will be waived off. Additionally, once the vehicle is registered for scrapping at the RVSF, the registration certificate (RC) status gets cancelled and is updated on the Vahan application.

However, due to lack of awareness, many owners approach car dealers, local scrap dealers, or junk collectors. Although local junk dealers often offer a higher price than the RVSF, the risk is that parts like the engine, chassis, and others may be resold individually or the vehicle may even be misused for illegal activities since the RC status remains active, said Gopal Krishan.

If a vehicle owner does not scrap the vehicle through the RVSF, they must visit the RLA (Registering and Licensing Authority) or the STA (State Transport Authority) to cancel the RC manually.

Gopal Krishan suggested that the government should discontinue the facility of cancelling RCs through the RLA or STA in order to promote scrapping through authorised RVSF centres. His RVSF centre, Select Technical Services, is located in Industrial Area Phase I, Chandigarh. “Though I get vehicles for scrapping from Jammu, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Chandigarh, only very few approach the RVSF directly,” said Gopal Krishan.

Currently, only about 20-25 two-wheelers and 150-200 private cars are scrapped monthly at the RVSF in Chandigarh. No commercial vehicles are being scrapped at the centre.

Nitin Aggarwal, a transporter from Chandigarh’s Daria area, said, “There is a huge margin between the price offered by local scrap dealers and the RVSF. Also, in today’s thriving used-vehicle market, many choose to sell their old vehicles to dealers instead of scrapping them.”

Ajay Singh, who recently bought a new car, sold his old diesel-engine car to a dealership offering attractive schemes. “I received Rs 1.35 lakh for my old car, which was nearing the end of its life. If I had opted for RVSF scrapping, I would have missed out on the exchange benefits,” he said.

Amit Kumar, secretary of the State Transport Authority, said since it is not mandatory for commercial vehicle owners to scrap their vehicles at an RVSF, many choose local scrappers within or outside Chandigarh instead.