Issuance of FC for commercial vehicles hits a roadblock in Mysuru

RTOs unable to generate challan owing to blocking of service by MoRTH; challan must be generated at ATS itself, clarifies RTO West, Mysuru

Mysuru: The process of issuing Fitness Certificates (FCs), by the Regional Transport Offices (RTO) to declare vehicle as safe to travel on the road, has met with a hurdle, especially for the commercial vehicle (transport) owners, as the service has been stopped by both the RTOs in city from the past 10 days. However, the FC is being issued for non-transport vehicles.

Every day, commercial vehicle owners line up at Automated Testing Station (ATS) at Mysuru East RTO In Rajivnagar and return disappointed, as the authorities have stopped testing for commercial vehicles as the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) have blocked the facility as the RTOs failed to follow the guidelines. 

Earlier, the MoRTH in its notification dated Apr. 5, 2022 had made fitness testing of vehicles through Automated Testing Stations (ATS) mandatory from April, 2023. Also for the medium goods vehicles, medium passenger motorvehicles and light motorvehicles (transport) the fitness testing was made compulsory from June 1, 2024.

Further, the notification also mentioned that the renewal of Fitness Certificates will be for a period of 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. However, fitness testing for personal vehicles (non-transport) is done after 15 years from the date of registration.

Following the Central Government’s notification, a total of six Automated Testing Stations were opened under Devanahalli RTO and Nelamangala RTO in Benglauru Rural District; Mysuru East RTO, Rajivnagar and Mysuru West RTO, Chamarajapuram in Mysuru and Dharwad East RTO and Dharwad West RTO  in Dharwad. However, the challan generation for fitness certificates was being generated in respective RTOs since the implementation of ATS. Now, since the past 10 days, challans are not being generated at RTOs as the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has blocked the provision of generating challans at RTOs and instead has recommended the challans to be generated at the respective Automated Testing Stations itself.

No provision for generating challan

Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, Regional Transport Officer (RTO) West C.N. Ramachandra said that, the issue of Fitness Certificate to commercial vehicles had hit a roadblock since the RTOs were unable to generate challans for the testing of vehicles.

“According to MoRTH, the challan has to be generated at ATS where the testing for issuing fitness certificates is being done. Since, there is no provision, the State Government has requested the MoRTH to include the provision of generating challan for fitness testing at the VAHAN website and awaiting for the instructions.

Private parties not interested in ATS

 “Crores of rupees are required to invest in setting up ATS and none of the private parties have expressed their interest. As it was made mandatory to conduct the fitness tests through ATS, the State Government took the initiative of starting six Automated Testing Stations in Bengaluru, Mysuru and Dharwad districts. While, the FC is being issued for non-transport vehicles, it has been stopped for commercial vehicles. However, except for autorickshaws, the owners of other commercial vehicles can get the fitness test done at RTOs as there are such provisions,” said Ramachandra.