Twice a year fitness tests for transport vehicles on cards

Hyderabad: The state government is mulling a proposal to make it mandatory for all transport vehicles to get fitness test done twice a year. The government feels that this would not only help in reducing accidents but also help the department earn higher revenue.

As soon as Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao gives his nod, the proposal will come into effect making about 93 lakh transport vehicle owners to shell out double the money they spend now as they should get fitness test done twice a year.

Sources said if the proposal is accepted, transport vehicles with yellow plate will have to come for fitness test twice a year, January and June.

At present, the transport vehicles like buses, trucks, maxi cabs, taxis, autorickshaws, etc will have to come for mandatory fitness test once in a year for the safety of the passengers.

There are around 1.07 crore vehicles in the state, including 93 lakh transport category and about 22,500 vehicles of educational institutions. Sources said that the department has sent the proposal to the government for approval.

The fee for fitness test of a maxi cab is Rs 850 but if the new rule is implemented, the transporters will have to pay Rs 1700 per year. Similarly, for auto rickshaws the fee for fitness certificate is Rs 650 and it would become Rs 1300 per year, if the new rule is implemented.

According to sources, the Centre wants that vehicles which are 15 years old should go for fitness test twice a year. Taking a cue from this, the officials here want to extend it to transport vehicles which are less than 15 years.

This has come in for strong criticism from the Telangana Auto and Motor Welfare Union. Talking to The Hans India union general secretary M Dayanand said that it would put more burden on the end users as the cost of transportation would go up. If implemented, it would be great injustice to the common man, he added.