Vehicle fitness tests at designated stations may become a must from next year

The Centre plans to make fitness testing of vehicles mandatory from next year. The government mandates vehicles to undergo such tests through designated Automated Testing Stations in a phased manner starting from April, 2023.

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has issued a draft notification today for public comments regarding mandatory fitness testing of vehicles through ATS.

The draft notification follows the launch of the Centre's Vehicle Scrapping Policy last year. It mandates fitness tests for commercial vehicles after completion of 15 years and personal vehicles after 20 years.

According to the draft notification, the fitness tests of heavy goods vehicles and heavy passenger motor vehicles through an ATS will be mandatory from April 1, 2023. The medium goods vehicles, medium passenger motor vehicles and light motor vehicles (transport) will have to undergo such tests compulsorily from June 1, 2024.

These Automated Testing Stations (ATS) will use mechanical equipment to automate various tests required to check fitness of a vehicle. The draft notification further says that renewal certificate after fitness tests will be issued for two years for commercial vehicles (transport) that are up to eight years old and one year for commercial vehicles (transport) that are older than eight years.

Last year, the ministry said that entities like special purpose vehicles, state governments, companies, associations and body of individuals may be allowed to open ATS for testing fitness of both personal and transport vehicles. Fitness testing for personal vehicle (non-transport) is done at the time of renewal of registration (after 15 years).

As per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, a single window clearance system will be provided for pre-registration or registration of the ATS. The registering authority shall be above or at the level of the transport commissioner of the state. "ATS may be owned or operated by a person including any individual or company or association or body of individuals or special purpose vehicle or state government," the guidelines read.