Delhi is planning to improve how vehicles are checked for safety and performance by introducing three new automated vehicle testing stations. Officials have announced that they aim to have two of these new facilities up and running by March.
The new facilities are located at Burari, Nand Nagri, and Tehkhand. Delhi currently operates one automated testing station in Jhuljhuli.
Nand Nagri: The first launch
- The Nand Nagri station is nearing completion and will become Delhi’s first fully automated vehicle testing center.
- The facility will be housed in a pre-engineered 40m x 26m building. It will feature four automated lanes: two for heavy motor vehicles, one for light motor vehicles, and one for two-wheelers.
- It is designed to operate without human intervention to ensure transparent and timely efficient fitness certification.
- The center will have an annual testing capacity of approximately 72,000 vehicles, including 20,000 two-wheelers. Tests will include emission checks, roller brake tests, suspension checks, underbody inspections, and headlight alignment.
- The government is targeting to make this unit functional by early next year.
Tehkhand and Burari upgrades
- Tehkhand: The foundation stone for Delhi’s second fully automated station was laid in November. This unit will have an annual capacity of 73,000 vehicles. The government has floated a tender worth Rs 21.28 lakh for the electrification work, which officials anticipate will start soon and be completed within three months.
- Burari: The existing inspection and certification center at Burari is being upgraded into a fully automated facility. This upgrade, budgeted at Rs 11.27 crore, will introduce advanced lanes, CCTV cameras, and essential fire safety and electrical installations.
Increase in fitness fees
Following an earlier hike in renewal charges, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has again acted to discourage the retention of older vehicles by increasing the mandatory fitness test fee. The November 11 notification specifically targets older motor vehicles, creating three clear age groups for testing: 10-15 years, 15-20 years, and above 20 years. Crucially, the fee for light motor vehicles (LMVs) over 20 years has jumped from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000. Moreover, commercial vehicles now enter the higher fee structure at 10 years, a five-year reduction from the previous 15-year threshold.
