Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 20 June 2024
Numerous government vehicles in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are operating without valid registration certificates.
The Government of India requires all government vehicles to be scrapped 15 years after their initial registration. Consequently, the registration certificates of government vehicles older than 15 years are automatically cancelled. However, despite these directives, various government departments continue to use these unregistered, old, and polluting vehicles across the islands.
Nicobar Times highlighted this issue on 17 May 2024, but the situation remains unchanged. On 20 June 2024, an unregistered vehicle involved in road repair work was spotted in front of the airport exit gate in Port Blair. The vehicle, bearing registration number AN4354, is owned by the Andaman Public Works Department (APWD) and was first registered on 25 August 1986. Despite being 37 years and 9 months old, the vehicle continues to be used by the APWD, even after its registration was cancelled.
Many such unregistered vehicles belonging to Government Departments are operating freely in various Islands, without any action from Andaman and Nicobar Police.
This situation contrasts sharply with the treatment of private vehicles, which face strict penalties for even minor infractions. Andaman and Nicobar Police are yet to take action against these unregistered government vehicles, raising questions about the enforcement of laws on government-owned vehicles.
The public is left wondering why the law is not enforced equally on government vehicles as it is on those owned by private individuals.