The B.C. Scrap-It Program is looking to take super polluters off the streets.
B.C. Scrap-It Program CEO Dennis Rogoza was in Prince George on Tuesday to promote the program at an air quality forum held by the Prince George Air Quality Improvement Roundtable (PGAIR). The B.C. Scrap-It Program offers cash incentives to scrap vehicles from 1995 and older.
"These older cars are on average 60 times more polluting than newer vehicles," Rogoza said. "We've had some in the range of 500 times more polluting. What our program is about is focusing on those super polluters.
"Older cars have older technology. [And] older cars are often not maintained as well," he said.
Since the program's inception, B.C. Scrap-It has taken 32,000 older cars off the road, he added.
Across B.C. there are approximately 500,000 vehicles from 1995 or older insured and on the road, he said. That amounts to approximately one vehicle in six.
However, in Prince George only approximately 200 vehicles have been surrendered through the Scrap-It Program.
Given the population in Prince George and the surrounding area, Rogoza said he'd anticipate a larger uptake for the program.
In the Lower Mainland, the Air Care program refers owners of qualifying vehicle which fail the emission standards test to the B.C. Scrap-It Program. In addition, several of the incentives available through the program are only available in the Lower Mainland.
Residents in Prince George are able to qualify for a $200 cash reward to scrap a vehicle, $300 to $1,250 cash incentive toward the purchase of a 2004 or newer vehicle; or up to $500 toward the purchase of a bicycle.
The program is available through four local automobile dealerships and two local bicycle shops.
Once cars are surrendered they are crushed and recycled to prevent them from ending up back on the road, he said.
For more information on how to take part in the program, go online to www.scrapit.ca.
