Take a Pass on Driving That Clunker

Scrap your old vehicle and get real rewards

When Margaret and Brian Moen retired their 1994 Chrysler Grand Voyager they had to adjust to having one less vehicle in the family. With three drivers in the house and two cars between them, Margaret found that she was soon taking the train a lot more. But for free.

The Moen’s recycled their vehicle through Retire Your Ride, Canada’s car recycling program, and received nine months of Calgary Transit passes in return.

Started in February 2009, Retire Your Ride accepts 1995 or older vehicles that are in running condition and have been registered and properly insured for the past six months. Participants are rewarded with their choice of transit passes, up to $490 towards a new commuter bike or $300 cash. Several car manufacturers, including Ford, Hyundai, Chrysler, General Motors, and Volkswagen, have also come on board and offer discounts ranging from $500 to $3000 off the cost of a new vehicle to Retire Your Ride participants.

More than 3500 Albertans have let go of their beloved beaters.

Moen says her transit reward has helped her adopt a less car-reliant lifestyle.

“I used to take the train to work most days,” she says “but now I take it every day and have also been relying on it to get to appointments, which I never did before.”

For Moen, recycling her old vehicle made financial and environmental sense.

The average Calgarian commutes 40.2 km a day round trip to work, or 8,844 km a year. Research conducted by Adam Gagnon, Program Manager of Transportation and Energy Efficiency with Climate Change Central, shows that even a relatively economical 2009 Honda Fit can cost more than $9600 a year to operate (considering financing, parking, insurance, maintenance and gas at an estimate of $0.85 per litre). A 2009 GMC Yukon Denali racks up a whopping $17,000 a year in operational costs.

Older cars cost even more to maintain and are, in most cases, less fuel efficient. They also have a significant environmental impact.

1995 or older vehicles produce 19 times more smog-forming pollution than 2004 or newer vehicles. These vehicles make up one quarter of vehicles driven by Canadians and can generate as much as half of the smog-forming pollutants caused by personal vehicle use.

When a vehicle is scrapped through Retire Your Ride, 75 per cent of its content (by weight) is recycled and all fluids are drained and safely disposed of.

More than 50,000 Canadians have already participated in the program, which aims to retire at least 50,000 vehicles per year until March 31, 2011.

To learn how to safely scrap your vehicle, get rewards, and reduce harmful emissions visit RetireYourRide.ca or call 1-877-773-1996.