Time to hand over the old banger?

THE ROAD Transport Department yesterday began accepting applications from people wishing to withdraw cars over 20 years old from circulation.

According to the scheme, the government will offer between £150 (€256) and £1,000 (€1,708) as incentives for withdrawal, with the relevant bill providing £5 million (€8.56m) a year for the withdrawal of three categories of cars.

The RTD’s Senior Road Transport Engineer Yiannis Nicolaides told the Mail that the scheme proved to be very popular on its first day.

“We have been overwhelmed with around 300 applications by 1pm with many others contacting us with questions,” he explained.

“It’s very easy to apply online. Simply type in the vehicle registration and an ID number and you will then automatically receive a reply on the eligibility of the application.”

In the first category, the government will offer £150 for the withdrawal of cars over 20 years of age that are still registered.

The second category provides £400 (€683) for the withdrawal of cars that are registered and have had valid road tax for up to 12 months before applications start.

In the third category, people buying a new car could receive between £750 (€1,281) and £1,000 as an incentive to withdraw a registered car with paid road tax valid for up to 12 months before the decision comes into force.

If the replacement car consumes seven litres of fuel for every 100km, the owner will receive £750, while if it uses a more economical five litres to 100km, then the incentive rises to £1,000.
Applicants must provide a certificate of destruction for the first two categories, while proof of registration of a new vehicle must also be submitted in the third category.

According to the RTD, the old cars will be placed in licensed establishments that will operate on the basis of a European directive, which enforces their recycling.

There are currently more than 40,000 cars on the island over 20 years of age.

Applications can be made online via the Road Transport Department’s website at http://rtd.mcw.gov.cy.

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The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.