Govt issues draft rules for vehicle fitness testing at automated testing stations

The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has notified draft rules that propose to mandate fitness tests for vehicles at government-approved automated testing stations from June 2024.

For heavy goods vehicles/heavy passenger motor vehicles, it will be in effect from April 2023. For medium goods vehicles/medium passenger motor vehicles and light motor vehicles (transport), it will be in effect from June 2024, as per the draft notifications.

The proposal will be finalised within 30 days after receiving comments from the public, a government official said.

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Last year, the ministry approved the rules for recognition, regulation, and control of automated testing stations under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The rules take into account the vehicle safety and emission requirements, as well as global best practices in this regard. An automated testing station uses mechanical equipment to automate the various tests required to check the fitness of a vehicle.

For commercial vehicles, a fitness test is being done every two years up to eight years, and every year for vehicles, which are older. For personal vehicles, fitness testing is done at the time of renewal of registration (after 15 years) and repeated every five years in case of renewal of registration.

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