Gov't may lift time restrictions on cars
By Li Fangchao (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-09-26 11:41
Car lovers who dream of having a life-long relationship with their favourite
cars might soon get their wish, as authorities plan to scrap the time limits for
car expiration.
Chen Lin, a deputy director of the Ministry of Commerce,
told a forum on Sunday in Guangzhou that the ministry is revising certain
regulations so that the age of a vehicle would not serve as a criterion forcing
the retirement of vehicles.
The revisions could mean a driver would be
able to drive a car as long as it met safety and emission standards.
Currently, owners are required to discard their vehicles within 15 years
of its manufacture, no matter what condition it is in.
Current
regulations stipulate that car owners will have to pass two yearly inspections
if they want to continue diving the same car after 15 years and four annual
checks after 20 years.
The revision would first apply to private cars and
cars designated for civil services.
Chen was quoted by Guangzhou Daily as
saying that a detailed, revised edition would be posted on the ministry's
website to solicit suggestions and might be circulated this
year.
Environmental concerns served as one of the main reasons for the
change, Chen was quoted as saying.
"The sharp increase in the number of
cars on the road and the high levels of single-car emissions are the main causes
of the huge amounts of air pollution," Chen was quoted as saying.
The
standards for vehicle emissions were newly added requirements that experts say
would speed up the elimination of old types of high-emission vehicles and prod
car manufacturers to upgrade their production.
Car owners welcomed the
move as a more scientific way to approach car expiration rather than simply
judging from age and mileage. However, they also raised concerns that the new
regulation might force an early retirement in less than 15 years if their cars
fail to meet standards.
"Owners would pay more attention to daily
maintenance to meet the emission standards in order to extend their cars'
lives," said Lu Xinguang, owner of a 4-year-old Bora.
Yang Huqun, an employee
of www.bj2sc.com, a website providing
information services for used car owners and buyers, said that the new
regulation might stir up the used car market.
"More people may discard
their old cars because they produce high emissions and purchase new ones which
are more environment-friendly," he said.
"And cars that are old but still
in good condition would sell for a good price."
A woman employee of the
office of Shanghai Volkswagen said it is still too early to tell the
regulation's real impact on car manufacturers, because none of the specifics of
the new regulation have been released yet. (For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)
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