The Central government is planning a policy that will ban commercial vehicles that are more than 10 years old in an effort to tackle the alarming pollution levels in the country, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday. However, there is no immediate plan to ban trucks and buses that are more than 15 years old, PTI reported. The new policy is still in the planning stages, and until it is passed by the government, there will be no embargo on old commercial vehicles, Gadkari confirmed, refuting suggestions to the contrary.

The government plans to execute its plan by turning the old vehicles into scrap, which will be valued at 10% to 15% of the original cost of the vehicle. The government is also planning tax exemptions on such vehicles so that owners can buy new vehicles at a discount once they give up the old ones, Gadkari said. The scrap generated, he added, will be recycled at industrial units near major ports, creating a new set of jobs and boosting the economy.