The West Bengal government, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, will scrap about 22,000 government vehicles that are over 15 years old. This includes approximately 700 police vehicles. The state government has already begun identifying and replacing these old vehicles with new Electric Vehicles (EVs). Each department has been instructed to provide the vehicle numbers and registration details to start the replacement process.
The decision comes after a tragic incident involving a 15-year-old police vehicle. A pilot car of Trinamool Congress MLA Saokat Molla experienced brake failure and collided with a motorcyclist, resulting in the motorcyclist’s death. This incident highlighted the need to replace outdated vehicles. Among the vehicles to be scrapped are 698 police vehicles, 481 from the Transport Department, and 710 from state-owned organizations. Additionally, over 19,000 vehicles from other government departments will also be scrapped.
The government has emphasized purchasing electric vehicles as replacements. Along with scrapping unfit vehicles, the transport department has started seizing unfit private and government vehicles. The scrapping process will continue gradually unless the Supreme Court decides to extend the 15-year period.
