The federal government says more than 50,000 vehicles have been registered under its Retire Your Ride program and it's urging Canadian drivers to keep them coming.

The program encourages people to scrap their high-polluting vehicles and turn to environmentally friendly transportation.

Environment Minister Jim Prentice says the program has removed about 2,250 tonnes of smog-forming pollutants from the atmosphere since it was introduced last January.

Retire Your Ride offers incentives to Canadians who turn in vehicle models from 1995 or earlier, which are 19 times more polluting than 2004 and newer models.

Administered by a network of non-profit groups, rewards vary by region and may include free transit passes, rebates on bicycles, memberships in car-sharing programs or $300 cash per vehicle.

Participants can also benefit from manufacturers' rebates on new vehicles.