Transportation Ministry says plan meant to take old, polluting cars off the road will kick start after new government is formed

Shahar Haselkorn
Published: 02.05.13

The Transportation Ministry announced that it was suspending its scrapping program – again – saying it will “most probably” be resumed after the news government is in place.

The program was first launched in 2010 and aimed to encourage owners of vehicles that are 20 years old and over, and have been decommissioned over safety issuesת to recycle them into scrap metal, rather then just leave them in a “car graveyard” – for a NIS 3,000 (roughly $800) “scrapping grant” per car.

It has, so far, been suspended three times.

The ministry said that the program now depends on the 2013 budget, which is not yet in place, as it will be the new government’s to install.

The Environmental Protection Ministry says that while in place, the program was very successful, exhausting its budget within months.

The Environmental Protection Ministry said that it has already petitioned to the Finance Ministry’s Accountant-General’s Office to release some of the funds already appropriated for the program, which will cover the scrapping of some 6,000 cars.

The Transportation Ministry has been widely criticized for zigzagging on the matter, including by ministry officials.

“The public sees us going back and forth – is there any wonder they lose confidence?”

A statement by the Transportation Ministry stressed that the program will be resumed as soon as the funding is made available.
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