Centre drafts changes to vehicle scrapping rules, seeks public comment within 30 days

The Centre is preparing changes to the vehicle scrapping policy to take old and unusable vehicles off the roads. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued a new draft notification on September 30, 2026. Attention is now on what exactly will change in the rules for scrapping government vehicles.

The government has proposed amending the rules on the registration and functioning of vehicle scrapping facilities, which were brought in under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, in 2021. The draft is officially titled the Motor Vehicles (Registration and Functions of Vehicle Scrapping Facility) Amendment Rules, 2026.

The draft has been brought in to make the process of disposing of the country's old, unusable and scrap vehicles easier. The proposal suggests that by amending the rules governing the functioning of scrapping facilities, the government wants to make the process clearer and more transparent.

The draft proposes a change to clause (xiii) of sub-rule (1) of Rule 10 of the original 2021 rules. It suggests removing the words "Government-owned vehicle or" from this provision.

If these words are removed, the separate mention of government-owned vehicles in the rule could go. For this reason, the proposal is considered significant for how the rules on scrapping facilities will apply.

The change, however, is only a proposal for now. What practical changes will actually be made to the scrapping of government vehicles will become clear only after the final rules are issued.

The notification is not final. It is only a draft at present, and citizens have been given a chance to submit suggestions and objections.

Once the notification is published in the official Gazette, citizens will have 30 days to send their suggestions or objections. After this period ends, the government will review the suggestions received. The process of making the necessary changes and finalising the rules will then move forward.

The provisions of the draft issued on September 30, 2026 could therefore differ from the rules in the final notification.

Those who wish to give their views on the proposal can send suggestions and objections by email or post. The email address is comments-morth@gov.in. The postal address is: Additional Secretary (Transport), Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Transport Bhawan, Sansad Marg, New Delhi - 110001.

The proposed reform in the vehicle scrapping policy is significant for the rules on disposing of old and unusable vehicles. But as the draft is not yet in force, vehicle owners should keep in mind the difference between the proposal and the final rules. The Centre will take a final decision on the changes after considering citizens' suggestions.