Prime Highlight
- Pune will soon have three fully automated vehicle fitness testing centres at Hadapsar, Alandi Road, and Dive Ghat, eliminating human involvement in the testing process.
- The new ATCs aim to reduce bias, cut waiting time, and improve road safety by allowing only scientifically verified fit vehicles on roads.
Key Facts
- The automated fitness test will take only six minutes and will check brakes, headlights, smoke emission, speedometer accuracy, with all data recorded digitally.
- Maharashtra plans to establish 54 Automated Fitness Testing Centres across the state, including some under the public–private partnership model.
Background
Pune will soon get three fully automated vehicle fitness testing centres, marking a major change in the way commercial vehicles are inspected in Maharashtra. The state transport department is setting up Automated Fitness Testing Centres (ATCs) at Hadapsar, Alandi Road, and Dive Ghat. The centres are in the final stage of construction and are expected to start operations in the new year.
The new facilities will issue fitness certificates without any human role in the testing process. Officials say the system will remove bias, reduce long waiting hours, and improve road safety by allowing only fit vehicles to operate.
Maharashtra plans to open 54 ATCs across the state. Many of them are under construction, while a few will run under the public–private partnership model. The department believes the project will modernise the vehicle inspection process and bring more transparency.
At present, fitness tests take several hours at Regional Transport Offices as vehicles are checked on long tracks. ATCs work inside closed sheds where vehicles either stay in one place or run on rollers. The entire process will take only six minutes.
The machines will test brake strength, headlight beam focus and brightness, smoke levels, and speedometer accuracy. All data will be recorded automatically, which will reduce manual errors.
Under current rules, new commercial vehicles do not need fitness certificates for the first two years. After that, the certificate must be renewed every two years. Vehicles older than eight years must be tested every year. If a certificate expires, owners must pay a fine of ₹50 per day.
Swapnil Bhosale, sub-regional transport officer, Pune, said ATCs will help identify unfit vehicles in a scientific manner and reduce road accidents.
Vehicle operators have welcomed the move. Ramesh Chavan from Hadapsar said the new system will save time, money, and stress for drivers and transporters.
