Fitness testing of vehicles through ATS mandatory starting 2023

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways notified new rules on Tuesday for obtaining a certificate of fitness for motor vehicles mandating an Automated Testing Station (ATS) to enable vehicle testing outside the state of registration and the norm to declare a vehicle as an end-of-life vehicle.

The government plans to make fitness testing of vehicles through ATS mandatory in a phased manner, starting from April next year.

For heavy goods vehicles/heavy passenger motor vehicles, fitness through ATS will begin April 1, 2023 onwards. Whereas for medium goods vehicles/medium passenger motor vehicles and light motor vehicles (transport), fitness through an Automated testing station will begin June 1, 2024.

The government said that “renewal of certificate of fitness in respect of transport vehicles two years for vehicles up to eight years old and one year for vehicles older than eight years."

The notification to bring certain amendments in the rules for "Recognition, Regulation And Control of Automated Testing Stations” were earlier published on September 23 2021.

An ATS uses mechanical equipment to automate the various tests required to check the fitness of a vehicle.

Last year, the ministry had said that entities like special purpose vehicles, state governments, companies, associations and body of individuals may be allowed to open ATS for testing fitness of both personal and transport vehicles.

Fitness testing for a personal vehicle (non-transport) is done at the time of renewal of registration (after 15 years).