Punjab Orders Scrapping of Unfit Vehicles Under New Anti-Smog Law
LAHORE: The Punjab government has introduced a new legal framework requiring vehicles classified as unfit or no longer roadworthy to be formally scrapped. The measure, brought into force through an ordinance, is aimed at reducing transport-related emissions and improving air quality across the province’s increasingly polluted urban centres.
Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan promulgated the Provincial Motor Vehicles (Third Amendment) Ordinance 2026 while the Punjab Assembly was not in session. The legislation adds a new chapter to the Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance of 1965 and creates the province’s first specific legal definition for an “end-of-life” vehicle.
Under the amended law, vehicles may fall into that category when their registration is no longer valid or has been cancelled. The definition also covers vehicles that fail mandatory fitness or emissions examinations and cannot secure the certificates required to remain legally operational on public roads.
The ordinance further includes vehicles severely damaged in fires, road accidents, natural disasters or other calamities when their owners declare them suitable only for scrap. Owners may also voluntarily surrender vehicles to an authorised scrapping facility, even when those vehicles have not been placed in the category through registration or testing procedures.
Punjab’s Transport and Mass Transit Department said the policy was designed to strengthen air-quality management and reduce public exposure to pollution. The government views the retirement of highly polluting vehicles as an essential part of its wider transition towards cleaner public transport, lower emissions and increased adoption of electric mobility.
Once a vehicle is formally declared to have reached the end of its usable life, the law requires it to be processed through a private scrapping centre or a facility established by the provincial transport department. The process may include removing pollutants, recovering reusable components, recycling suitable materials and crushing the remaining frame and unusable parts.
Detailed implementation rules have not yet been issued. Officials are expected to clarify vehicle age thresholds, testing standards, documentation requirements and the conditions under which private scrapping centres will be authorised. The absence of these operational details means vehicle owners will need to wait for further notifications before the full impact of the policy becomes clear.
The measure could significantly affect owners of ageing private cars, buses, trucks and other commercial vehicles, particularly those that repeatedly fail roadworthiness or emissions tests. It may also create new commercial opportunities for recycling companies, spare-parts businesses and licensed vehicle-disposal operators, provided the system is regulated transparently and environmental safeguards are enforced.
Punjab’s cities regularly face serious smog and air-pollution episodes, with road transport identified as one of several major contributors alongside industry, construction dust and agricultural burning. The earlier motor vehicle law did not provide a dedicated mechanism for systematically retiring obsolete vehicles, leaving authorities without a clear legal route for removing them permanently from circulation.
The effectiveness of the ordinance will depend on the rules that follow, the availability of affordable testing facilities and the government’s ability to prevent corruption or the illegal resale of scrapped vehicles. Authorities are now expected to establish authorised centres, define enforcement procedures and explain whether owners will receive financial incentives or other support when surrendering ageing vehicles.