Mumbai, April 23 (IANS) In a move to enhance road safety and modernise vehicle inspections, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday directed officials to fast-track the establishment of 53 Automated Testing Stations across Maharashtra.

He emphasised that vehicle fitness certification must transition entirely to these registered automated centres to ensure transparency and precision.

The directions were issued during a high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Minister at his official residence, ‘Varsha’. The meeting was attended by Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, Minister of State for Transport Madhuri Misal, Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Sethi, and Transport Commissioner Rajesh Narvekar, among others.

As per a notification issued on September 23, 2023, under Rule 62 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, it is mandatory for all transport category vehicles to undergo fitness tests only through registered ATS from April 1, 2025. This transition marks the end of the traditional manual inspection system, the government release said.

At present, seven stations are already operational, while 37 additional centres are slated to be functional by the end of August. The Chief Minister instructed officials to coordinate with various departments to resolve pending issues and launch the remaining centres at the earliest.

Due to delays in the completion of these automated centres, the Central government had previously imposed phased restrictions on ‘Vahan’ portal access for several transport offices in the state. Recognising the difficulties faced by vehicle owners and transporters, Chief Minister Fadnavis personally intervened and requested the Central government to restore portal access. Following a positive response from the Centre, these restrictions have now been lifted.

Maharashtra currently has approximately 4.33 crore vehicles, of which 36.80 lakh fall under the transport category. Every year, nearly 9 lakh vehicles will require mandatory fitness testing.

“The ATS system will make the vehicle inspection process fully automated, computerised, and transparent. By minimising human ntervention, we will significantly increase the accuracy of safety checks,” said the Chief Minister.

Maharashtra is leading the way in national infrastructure. Out of 214 centres planned across India, nearly 25 per cent (53 centres) will be located in Maharashtra. The project carries an estimated cost of Rs 1,035 crore for five years of operation and maintenance. The state has already received a grant of Rs 337.74 crore from the Central government to support this initiative, the government release said.

–IANS

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