Maharashtra transporters claim delay in fitness renewal for BS-IV and VI commercial vehicles

    Mumbai, Sept 22 (PTI) Commercial vehicle owners across Maharashtra claimed they faced challenges in renewing fitness certificates, particularly concerning Speed Limiting Devices (SLD) on vehicles compliant with BS-IV and BS-VI emission norms.
    Transporters said issues began in mid-August following changes to the Vahan system- a national vehicle registration portal. It has become mandatory for commercial vehicles—such as trucks, tempos, taxis, and buses—to provide SLD certificate details during the fitness renewal process.
    Many transporters and RTO officials the PTI spoke to view this requirement as unnecessary. They argue it not only delays the renewal of fitness certificates but also fosters corruption, forcing vehicle owners to seek assistance from dealers and RTO agents.
    BS4 and BS6 are Bharat Stage (BS) emission norms set by the Central Pollution Control Board.
    Under Rule 118 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), SLDs or speed governors, must be installed in all commercial vehicles (excluding auto rickshaws and quadricycles) to limit speeds to below 80 km/hr, a regulation enforced since October 1, 2015.
    Older vehicles were equipped with external speed governors, while newer models feature an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) for speed regulation.
    The transport department requires detailed SLD information—including unique identification numbers, approval and fitment dates, and test report numbers—to be updated in the Vahan system. Without this information, fitness certificates cannot be issued, leaving many BS-IV and BS-VI vehicles in limbo.
    "Without updating the SLD details on the Vahan system, fitness certificates for the vehicles cannot be generated," a senior Motor Vehicle Inspector said, adding that fitness renewals for several BS-IV and BS-VI vehicles now remain pending.
    Up to 8 years, fitness certificates of commercial vehicles were renewed after two years and then once a year.
    Transporters say they are frustrated over the situation.
    "I took my 2-year-old bus for fitness renewal on September 3, but the RTO (Regional Transport Office) has yet to issue the certificate due to SLD details. It’s been nearly 20 days since the renewal test, and I’m still waiting," claimed a school bus owner from Thane.
    Another trucker also expressed discontent with the new process, noting that they previously could renew fitness certificates at any RTO.
    Now, they are compelled to return to the RTO where their vehicle is registered just to update SLD information. "One can imagine the waste of time and money," he said.
    Bal Malkit Singh, chairman of the Core Committee and former president of the All India Motor Transport Congress, claimed that despite previous assurances from the transport commissioner, the issue remains unresolved.
    He plans to raise the matter again with the transport department next week. "There are still some teething problems despite the circular being issued," he told PTI.
    "There are still some teething problems despite the circular being issued. Our members have flagged some issues, which will be taken up (with the transport department) on Monday," Singh added.
    Shailesh Kamat, deputy transport commissioner (Computers), acknowledged the complications in issuing fitness certificates. He clarified that the requirement to update ECU details only applies to vehicles with incomplete or unavailable information in the system.
    On September 12, the Maharashtra transport commissioner's office mandated RTOs to input detailed ECU information, including serial numbers and approval certificates, into the system.
    Kamat added that RTO officers of ARTO rank and above have been empowered to update the Vahan system, and the National Informatics Centre (NIC) has been asked to implement necessary system changes to address these issues.
    Transporters, meanwhile, pointed out that the ECU is used in new-generation vehicles not only for speed regulation but also for managing various functions.
    Currently, vehicle model-wise approval certificates are not available like externally-fitted governors.
    "We don't understand why the Maharashtra government is asking for SLD certificate updates?" asked Kailash Pingle of Maharashtra Rajya Motor Malak Sangh.
    He claimed some states like Delhi have recently done away with the provision to submit SLD certificates to curb corruption.
    An RTO official said demanding ECU certificates and other details is unnecessary considering that the ECU cannot be tampered with like external speed governors.
    Even if somebody manipulates ECU, all details are just a click away, he added.
    "This (asking for details) has led to confusion as many owners do not have access to the specific ECU details required, causing delays in the fitness certificate approval process," the official said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)