Private car owners can now keep their vehicles forever, theoretically, after the removal of a regulation that gave private cars a maximum lifespan of 15 years.

New rules, due to take effect on May 1, now mean that cars, SUVs, and minivans for non-business use will be able to be run until they have 600,000 kilometers on the clock, or if they fail to meet standards on safety, emissions and noise.

According to the new regulation, taxis will also have to be disposed of after eight years or 600,000 km.

Feng Yongliang, a teacher in Wulian county of Shandong province who had planned to sell the Santana he had been using for the past 12 years, said the new regulation means he now expects to get a better price for the car.

"In the past any buyer could only have been able to use the car for another three years, but now the car could be used until it reaches the mileage of 600,000 km," he said. "So it deserves a higher price."

However, the decision has been questioned by some vehicle traders, who suggest the new regulations may lower used car valuations.

Hu Hanbin, the general manager of Zhejiang Yuantong Used-Car Co, Ltd, said that it was impossible for vehicles to be used for as long as 600,000 km, given the pressure now being put on them to meet stricter gas emission and noise standards.

"I believe the government will be stricter with the yearly checks to make sure vehicles with excessive gas emissions cannot pass the checks," he said.

"Cars discharging excessive pollutants will have to be scrapped since the air quality in many cities has become worse than ever before," he added.

-An Baijie