Romania kicks off new scrappage program to take older cars out of circulation

Romania’s Used Vehicle Scrappage Program - Rabla Local recently kicked off, allowing individuals to register to receive RON 3,000 (EUR 608) in exchange for scrapping a vehicle older than 15 years.

The budget for the program is RON 240 mln (EUR 48.6 mln). Environment minister Mircea Fechet announced that around 100,000 Romanians are potential beneficiaries. "Car owners will receive RON 3,000 in exchange for scrapping an old and polluting vehicle. Out of that sum, RON 2,400 will be allocated from the Environmental Fund, and RON 600 will come from the local budget," he said, cited by G4Media.

The minister also specified that approximately 500 municipalities are enrolled in the Rabla Local program. "The list of approximately 500 administrative-territorial units is already available on the website of the Environmental Fund Agency (AMF). Citizens should ensure that the administrative-territorial unit where they reside is eligible for the program before applying and registering,” Feched added.

The minister also expressed hope that the success of the program will entice the other 2,500 administrative-territorial units in Romania to join the program in the future. "One of the conditions was to have a very simple procedure, so you only need to register on the AFM website if you haven't already, as you may have been a beneficiary of another program in the past. The registration process is very quick. You also need to reside within the respective administrative-territorial unit and, of course, have the car you want to get rid of, which we refer to colloquially as these 'rable,' which are, of course, older than 15 years. Taking these cars out of circulation will not only mean less pollution and fewer greenhouse gases but it will also likely result in better fuel efficiency when purchasing a new car, although it is not mandatory to do so. And certainly, the latest generation cars are much safer in terms of traffic safety," Fechet added.

The Environment Ministry expects about 100,000 to be beneficiaries of the program. Those interested can register for the program through the application provided by AFM until August 31, 2023, 4:30 PM, or until the budget allocated to each validated locality in the program is exhausted. "We aim to take more than a quarter of a million old vehicles out of circulation by the year 2026," the minister concluded.

(Photo source: Clare Jackson | Dreamstime.com)