Bhubaneswar: The state transport department on Monday announced a ban on the movement of commercial vehicles which are more than 10 years old and are registered outside Odisha. The department officials said the move aims to prevent the resale of unfit vehicles from other states in Odisha and enhance road safety.“We noticed that many old and unfit vehicles, particularly passenger buses, were being sold in Odisha after being registered elsewhere. This posed a serious risk to passenger safety. To address this, we have decided to prohibit the transfer of ownership of such vehicles into our state,” additional transport commissioner Dipti Ranjan Patra said.Under the new directive, no fresh permits will be issued to these vehicles. The state transport authority had on July 19, 2023, announced to restrict ownership transfers of 10-year-old vehicles from other states but enforcement was weak, sources stated. The latest order, issued on Thursday, instructs regional transport officers (RTOs) to ensure strict compliance.“RTOs and assistant RTOs have been directed not to process ownership transfers and address changes of such vehicles or collect transport taxes from them,” Patra said.Officials said the measure is expected to improve road safety, reduce pollution and gradually phase out unfit vehicles.Exemptions, however, remain for vehicles that already have prior permission, those registered in Odisha and those operating under valid inter-state permits.Meanwhile, the govt is scrapping its own vehicles older than 15 years under the Odisha Motor Vehicles (Registration and Functions of Vehicle Scrapping Facility) Policy, 2022. The process began in 2023, with vehicles being dismantled at registered vehicle scrapping facilities. Currently, Odisha has two such facilities in Khurda and Chandikhol, with a third facility planned in Rourkela.Private vehicles, though not mandated for scrapping, can voluntarily opt for disposal under the voluntary vehicle-fleet modernization programme, provided they meet fitness and safety standards. To date, around 11,000 old vehicles, including commercial, private and govt-owned, were scrapped, sources in the transport department said.
